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From  the  Library  or 

icKean  County,  Pennsylvania 
BX  6495  . S7  C66  1892 
Cook,  Richard  B.  1838-1916. 
The  wit  and  wisdom  of  Rev. 

Charles  H.  Spurgeon 


The  Wit  and  Wisdom 

OF 

Rev.  Charles  H.  Spurgeon. 


CONTAINING 


SELECTIONS  FROM  HIS  WRITINGS, 


A  SKETCH  OF  HIS  LIFE  AND  WORK. 


REV.  RICHARD   BRISCOE   COOK,  D.  D. 

AUTHOR    OK 

The  Story  of  Jesus,  and  oilier  luorks. 


ILLUST  RATED. 


LENOX    PUBLISHING   COMPANY. 

1802. 


COPYRIGHT,  1891,  BY 

R.  H.  Woodward  and  Company. 


ILLUSTRATIONS. 


PAGE. 

Rev.  Chas.  H.  Spurgeon Frontispiece 

The  Metropolitan  Tabernacle g 

Birthplace  of  C.  H.  Spurgeon,  Kelvedon,  Essex 29 

Cottage  at  Teversham,  where  Mr.  Spurgeon   first 

Preached 47 

New   Park-Street   Chapel,  the   first    Building    in 

which  Mr.  Spurgeon  Preached  in  London 6r 

Surrey  Music  Hall *. 84 

Interior  of  Metropolitan  Tabernacle 95 

Mr.  Spurgeon  at  the  Age  of  Twenty-one  10S 

The  Pastors'  College 134 

The  Stockwell  Orphanage 153 

The  Infirmary .171 

Testimonial  Houses 178 

Present  Home  of  Pastor  C.  H.  Spurgeon 207 


JFE  AND  WORK  OF   REV.  C.  H.  SPURGEON. 

Subjects    Treated. 


Birth  and  Parentage n 

Childhood 16 

The  Old  Manse  at  Stambourne 17 

Premonitions  and  Predictions 29 

Prophecy  of  Richard  Knill 30 

Distressing  Doubt 37 

Conversion 39 

Unites  with  the  Church 45 

First  Sermon 47 

First  Pastorate — Waterbeach 53 

Education 56 

Call  to  London — New  Park  Street 61 

First  Day  and  Night  In  London 64 

Asiatic  Cholera  in  London 71 

In  Exeter  Hall 73 

Visits  Scotland 76 

Marriage 80 

Return  to  New  Park  Street 82 

Surrey  Gardens 84 

The  Panic 84 

The  Rich  and  the  Poor 86 

"  I  Want  to  Hear  Spurgeon  " 88 

Friendly  Criticism 91 

s 


The  Metropolitan  Tabernacle 95 

An  Ancient  Church 98 

The  Author 108 

His  Preaching  and  Sermons 112 

His  Books 119 

The  Worker 122 

The  Almshouses 124 

The  Pastoral  Silver  Wedding 12S 

A  Story  About  Dr.  Rippon 131 

The  Pastors'  College 134 

The  Evangelists' Association 141 

The  Pastors' College  Conference 143 

Stockwell  Orphanage 153 

The  Girls'  Orphanage 167 

John  B.  Gough  at  the  Orphanage 171 

D.  L.  Moody  and  the  Orphans 174 

Conversion  of  Children ...  175 

The  Colportage  Association 178 

The  Total  Abstinence  Society 183 

The  Tabernacle  Prayer-Meeting 185 

The  Book  Fund 188 

The  Pastors' Aid  Fund 200 

The  Invalid 204 

Sturgeon  at  Home 207 

The  Twin  Sons 214 

The  Co-Pastor  of  the  Tabernacle  Church 220 

The  Spurgeon  Family 224 

Rest  and  Recreation 226 

Pleasantries  and  Opinions 228 

Fiftieth   Anniversary 235 

The  Down-Grade  Controversy 238 


LIFE  AND  WORK. 


Life  and  Work  of  Rev.  C.  H.  Spurgeon. 


A  N  English  school-boy  when  asked,  ''Who  is 
^^  the  Prime  Minister  of  England?"  answered, 
"Mr.  Spurgeon."  The  child  replied  better  than 
he  knew.  Mr.  Spurgeon  is,  not  only  England's, 
but  the  world's  greatest  preacher  since  the  days  of 
Paul. 

"No  one,"  says  a  well-known  writer,  "has  ever 
preached  to  so  large  a  congregation  continuously  in 
one  place.  The  lecturer  goes  from  place  to  place, 
and  even  the  theatre  manager  must  resort  to  new' 
actors,  new  scenes,  new  plays  to  draw  the  crowd; 
but  Mr.  Spurgeon  has  been  preaching  the  simple 
gospel  for  over  thirty  years  to  a  multitude  of  people 
in  London,  the  metropolis  of  the  world.  And  the 
traveler  who  visits  London  from  any  part  of  the 
world  goes  to  hear  Spurgeon,  who  has  very  prop- 

9 


io        LIFE  AjYD  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  //.  SPUKGEOA\ 

erly  been  called  'the  Whitefield  of  the  nineteenth 
century."  Besides  being  a  great  preacher,  Mr. 
Spurgeon  is  remarkable  as  the  author  of  many  val- 
uable works,  and  as  the  successful  originator  of  a 
number  of  successful  Christian  enterprises,  such  as 
the  College  and  the  Orphanage.  He  is  distin- 
guished as  preacher,  author,  editor  and  philan- 
thropist. 


BIRTH  AXD  PARENTAGE.  II 


BIRTH    AND    PARENTAGE. 

CHARLES  HADDON  SPURGEON  was  born 
at  Kelvedon,  in  Essex,  England,  June  19, 1834. 
His  ancestors  were  pious  people.  Rev.  James  Spur- 
geon,  his  grandfather,  and  his  father,  Rev.  John 
Spurgeon,  were  preachers  of  the  gospel  and  pastors 
of  Independent  churches.  The  mother  of  Mr. 
Spurgeon  was  the  youngest  sister  of  Charles 
Parker  Jarvis,  Esq.,  of  Colchester,  "a  woman  re- 
markable for  piety,  usefulness  and  humility." 

The  London  Grapliic  for  November  15,  1890, 
says :  '  'The  Spurgeon  family  is  of  Huguenot  origin. 
The  persecution  which  followed  the  Revocation  of 
the  Edict  of  Nantes  drove  several  members  of  it 
to  this  country,  who  settled  some  in  Norfolk  and 
some  in  Essex.  Mr.  C.  H.  Spurgeon  has  de- 
scended from  the  latter  branch." 

"Early  in  his  ministry  in  London,  he  was  intro- 
duced, at  a  book-store  in  Paternoster  Row,  to  Mr. 
John  Spurgeon,  a  descendant  of  the  Norwich 
branch  of  the  family;  and  on  comparing  notes  of 
their  respective  ancestors,  piety,  uprightness  and 
loyalty,    were    found    alike   in   both.     The   same 


12        LIFE  AXD  WORK'  OF  REV.  C.  II.  SP URGED X. 

spirit  of  religious  intolerance  which  sent  the  im- 
mortal Bunyan  to  Bedford  Jail  for  preaching  the 
gospel,  also  sent,  in  1677,  Job  Spurgeon  to  Chelms- 
ford Jail,  where,  for  conscience  sake,  he  lay  on  a 
pallet  of  straw  for  fifteen  weeks,  in  extremely 
severe  winter  weather,  without  any  fire." 

''The  great-grandfather  of  Pastor  Spurgeon  was 
contemporary  with  the  opening  period  of  the  reign 
of  King  George  III."  His  grandfather,  James 
Spurgeon,  was  converted  while  yet  a  youth  at 
Halstead.  While  an  apprentice  at  Coggeshall  he 
became  a  member  of  the  church  there.  At  the 
age  of  twenty-six  his  mind  was  directed  to  the 
gospel  ministry,  and  he  entered  Hoxton  Academy 
in  1802.  In  18 10  he  became  pastor  at  Stam- 
bourne,  in  Essex,  where  he  remained  pastor  for 
more  than  half  a  century.  The  church  had  but 
four  pastors  in  two  hundred  years  ;  he  was  the 
fourth.  He  frequently  said,  "I  have  not  had  one 
hour's  unhappiness  witli  my  church  since  I  have 
been  over  it."  "He  was  the  very  picture  of  neat- 
ness, and  in  many  particulars  resembled  John 
Wesley,  specially  in  his  manners  and  statue.  He 
wore  a  dress  cravat,  a  frilled  shirt,  and  had  a  vest 
with  deep  pockets,  as  if  provided  for  large  collec- 
tions.    He  was  seldom  without  a  pocket  of  sweets, 


BIRTH  A. YD   PARENTAGE.  13 

which  he  gave  generally  to  the  children  wherever 
he  went,  so  that  they  gathered  round  him  and 
attached  themselves  to  him  with  a  firmness  which 
riper  years  did  not  shake.  He  was  always  happy 
in  the  company  of  young  people.  He  wore  the 
breeches,  buckled  shoes  and  silk  stockings  which 
marked  the  rein  of  George  III.  For  more  than 
half  a  century  his  life  corresponded  with  his  labors." 

"In  the  year  1856,  Pastor  C.  H.  Spurgeon 
preached  a  sermon  at  Stambourne,  on  the  occasion 
of  his  grandfather's  completing  the  fiftieth  year  of 
his  ministry.  This  was  published  under  the  title 
of  'The  God  of  the  Aged.'  *  *  The  old  man 
had  especial  delight  in  promoting  the  sale  of  the 
sermons  and  other  publications  of  his  grandson, 
seeking  always  to  get  an  early  supply  of  any  new 
productions.  He  was  careful  to  supply  the  mem- 
bers of  his  church  annually  with  a  copy  of  'Spur- 
geon's  Almanack,'  which  the  writer,  (Geo.  J. 
Stevenson)  supplied  him  with  several  years  before 
his  death." 

When  the  remarkable  man  was  eighty-six,  his 
grandson,  Charles,  was  on  a  preaching  tour  in 
Essex,  and  a  letter  of  entreaty  was  sent  by  the 
patriarch  urging  the  young  divine  to  call  upon  him. 
Arriving  as  early  as  eight  in  the  morning,  the  aged 
saint  wras  on  the  look-out  for  "his  bov." 


14        LIFE  A. YD  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  II.  SPURGEON. 

He  died  February  12,  1864,  m  tne  eighty-seventh 
year  of  his  age.  His  son  John  at  Cranbrook, 
Kent,  and  his  grandson  Charles,  both  preached 
memorial  sermons  to  their  respective  congrega- 
tions. 

John  Spurgeon,  the  father  of  Charles,  was  born 
at  Stambourne  in  181 1.  He  was  the  second  of  ten 
children.  He  was  engaged  in  business  at  Colches- 
ter; for  sixteen  years  he  preached  on  Sundays  to  a 
small  congregation  of  Independents  at  Tollesbury, 
being  occupied  with  business  during  the  week.  He 
afterwards  devoted  his  whole  time  to  the  ministry 
at  Cranbrook,  London  and  Islington.  "He 
gathered  a  large  congregation  twice  on  the  Sab- 
bath, to  whom  his  preaching  was  both  acceptable 
and  beneficial."  In  all  his  work  Mrs.  Spurgeon, 
the  mother  of  London's  famous  preacher,  was  a 
true  help-meet  for  him  with  energy,  fidelity  and 
affectionate  regard,  doing  her  duty  in  her  family 
and  in  the  church.  Mr.  George  J.  Stevenson,  in 
his  faithful  biography  of  Mr.  Spurgeon,  says  : 
"When,  at  some  future  period,  the  historian  of  the 
Metropolitan  Tabernacle,  and  of  the  Stockwell 
Orphanage,  is  considering  the  primary  causes  of 
those  great  enterprises,  the  care  which  Mrs.  Spur- 
geon   bestowed    upon    the    early    training    of    her 


BIRTH  AND  PARENTAGE.  15 

family  must  be  accounted  as  a  valuable  auxiliary 
in  preparing  the  way  for  such  exemplary  conduct." 
Rev.  C.  H.  Spurgeon  has  one  brother,  James, 
and  six  sisters,  two  of  whom  are  married,  one  to  a 
minister  of  the  gospel  and  the  other  to  a  solicitor. 
They  all  had  a  good  education  bestowed  upon  them 
by  their  self-denying  parents. 


x6       LIFE  AND  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  H.  SPURGEON. 


CHILDHOOD. 

AT  an  early  age,  while  yet  an  infant,  he  was  sent 
to  live  with  his  grandfather,  at  Stambourne, 
where  he  was  welcomed  as  the  first  grandchild  in 
the  family,  and  was  then  put  under  the  care  of  his 
maiden  aunt,  Ann  Spurgeon,  whom  he  ever  loved  as 
a  second  mother.  He  was  there  for  almost  the 
entire  period  of  the  first  six  years  of  his  life.  lie 
soon  manifested  a  greater  fondness  for  books  than 
for  play,  Robinson  Crusoe  and  the  Pilgrim's  Pro- 
gress being  his  special  delight.  Another  book  that 
amused  him  many  hours  was  a  picture  book.  It 
contained  a  portrait  of  Bonner,  Bishop  of  London ; 
and  when  informed  that  Bishop  Bonner  persecuted 
in  his  day  many  of  the  servants  of  God  for  their 
religion,  the  effect  upon  his  mind  was  never  effaced. 
He  could  neither  read  nor  write  then,  but  the  picture 
of  the  persecutor  of  God's  people  made  him  dislike 
the  man,  whom  he  called,  in  derision,  "Old  Bon- 
ner." This  early  impression  probably  had  much  to 
do  in  making  Mr.  Spurgeon  the  mighty  champion 
he  is  of  religious  liberty,  and  in  giving  him  that 
intense  abhorrence  he  possesses  of  tyranny  in  every 
form  and  under  every  name.     The  child  surprised 


CHILDHOOD.  .  17 

tne  deacons  and  matrons  who  gathered  on  Sabbath 
evening  at  his  grandfather's  with  the  subjects  lie 
proposed  for  conversation,  and  his  intelligent  re- 
marks upon  them. 

In  The  Sword  and  the  Trowel  for  January,  1888, 
Mr.  Spurgeon  gives  a  picture  of  the  Old  Meeting- 
house and  Minister's  House,  Stambourne,  Essex, 
and  indulges  in  these  delightful  recollections  under 
the  head  of 

THE  OLD  MANSE  AT  STAMBOURNE. 

"The  frontispiece  nas  far  more  charms  for  me 
than  for  any  of  my  readers,  but  I  hope  that  their 
generous  kindness  to  the  writer  will  cause  them  to 
be  interested  in  it.  Here  my  venerable  grandfather 
lived  for  more  than  fifty  years,  and  reared  his  rather 
numerous  family.  The  old  meeting-house  still 
stands,  with  its  grand  overshadowing  trees,  and  the 
quiet  graveyard,  wherein  the  bodies  of  many  of  the 
Lord's  chosen  ones  wait  for  the  sounding  of  the 
resurrection  trumpet.  The  house  has  been  sup- 
planted by  one  which,  I  doubt  not,  is  most  acceptable 
to  the  excellent  minister  who  occupies  it,  but  to  me 
it  can  never  be  one  half  so  dear  as  the  revered  old 
home  in  which  I  spent  some  of  my  earliest  years. 
It  is  true  it  had  developed  devotional  tendencies, 
and  seemed  inclined  to  prostrate  its  venerable  form, 


i8       LIFE  AND  WORK  OF  REV,  C.  H.  SPURGEON. 

and  therefore  it  might  have  fallen  down  of  itself  if 
it  had  not  been  removed  by  the  builder,  but,  some- 
how, I  wish  it  had  kept  up  forever  and  ever.  I 
could  have  cried  'spare  the  old  house;  touch  not  a 
single  tile,  a  bit  of  plaster,'  but  its  hour  was  come, 
and  so  the  earthly  house  was  happily  dissolved. 

"It  looks  a  very  noble  structure,  with  its  eight 
windows  in  front,  but  at  least  three,  and  I  think 
four,  of  these  were  plastered  up,  and  painted  black, 
and  then  marked  out  in  lines  to  imitate  glass. 
They  were  not  very  bad  counterfeits,  or  the  pho- 
tograph would  betray  this.  Most  of  us  can  remem- 
ber the  window-tax,  which  seemed  to  regard 
light  as  a  Latin  commodity — lux,  and  therefore  a 
luxury,  and  therefore  to  be  taxed.  So  much  was 
paid  on  each  aperture  for  the  admission  of 
light  ;  and  so  room  after  room  of  the  manse  was 
left  in  darkness,  to  be  regarded  by  my  childish 
mind  with  reverent  awe.  Over  other  windows 
were  put  boards  marked  Dairy  or  Cheese-Room, 
because  by  this  name  they  would  escape  the  tribute. 
What  a  queer  mind  must  his  have  been  who  first 
invented  taxing  the  light  of  the  sun!  It  was,  no 
doubt,  meant  to  be  a  fair  way  of  estimating  the 
size  of  a  house,  and  hence  the  wealth  of  the  inhab- 
itants;   but,  incidentally,  it  led  occupiers   of    large 


CHILDHOOD.  19 

houses  to  shut  out  the  light  for  which  they  were  too 
poor  to  pay. 

"Let  us  enter  by  the  front  door.  We  step  into 
a  spacious  hall  paved  with  brick.  There  is  a  great 
fire-place,  and  over  it  a  painting  of  David  and  the 
Philistines,  and  giant  Goliath.  The  hall  floor  was 
of  brick,  and  carefully  sprinkled  with  fresh  sand. 
We  see  this  in  the  country  still,  but  not  often  in 
the  minister's  house.  In  the  hall  stood  the  child's 
rocking-horse.  It  was  a  gray  horse,  and  could  be 
ridden  astride  or  side-saddle.  When  I  visited  Stam- 
bourne  last  year,  a  man  claimed  to  have  rocked 
me  upon  it.  I  remember  the  horse,  but  not  the 
man ;  so  sadly  do  we  forget  the  better  and  remember 
the  baser.  This  was  the  only  horse  that  I  ever 
enjoyed  riding.  Living  animals  are  too  eccentric 
in  their  movements,  and  the  law  of  gravitation 
usually  draws  me  from  my  seat  upon  them  to  a 
lowei;  level  ;  but  this  was  a  horse  on  which  even  a 
member  of  Parliament  might  have  retained  his  seat. 

"Into  this  hall  came  certain  of  the  more  honored 
supporters  of  the  meeting  to  leave  their  cloaks,  and 
so  forth,  on  wet  Sundays.  The  horses  and  gigs 
went  down  to  the  stables  and  sheds  in  the  rear; 
whips  usually  went  into  the  pews,  and  a  few  of  the 
choicer  friends  left  their  wraps   and   coats  in   the 


20        IJFE  AND  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  II.  SPURGEOX. 

minister's  hall.  How  I  used  to  delight  to  stand  in 
the  hall,  with  the  door  open,  and  watch  the  rain 
run  off  the  top  of  the  door  into  a  wash-tub !  What 
bliss  to  float  cotton-reels  in  the  miniature  sea! 
How  fresh  and  sweet  that  rain  seemed  to  be !  The 
fragrance  of  it,  as  a  thunder-shower  poured  down, 
comes  over  me  now. 

"Where  the  window  is  open  on  the  right  was 
the  best  parlor.  Roses  generally  grew  about  it, 
and  bloomed  in  the  room  if  they  could  find  means 
to  insert  their  buds,  which  they  generally  did. 
There  had  evidently  been  a  cleaning  up  just  before 
the  photograph  was  taken,  for  there  are  no  roses 
creeping  up  from  below.  What  vandals  people 
are  when  they  set  about  clearing  up  either  the 
outside  or  inside  of  houses!  This  is  the  room 
which  contained  the  marvel  to  which  I  referred  in 
the  Almanack  for  1879. 

"Here  is  the  reference  to  it:  'We  remember 
well,  in  our  early  days,  seeing  upon  our  grand- 
mother's mantel-shelf  an  apple  contained  in  a 
phial.  This  was  a  great  wonder  to  us,  and  we 
tried  to  investigate  it.  Our  question  was,  "How 
came  the  apple  to  get  inside  so  small  a  bottle?" 
The  apple  was  quite  as  big  round  as  the  phial :  by 
what  means  was  it  placed  within  it?     Though  it 


CHILDHOOD  21 

was  treason  to  touch  the  treasures  on  the  mantel- 
piece, we  took  down  the  bottle  and  convinced  our 
youthful  mind  that  the  apple  never  passed  through 
its  neck,  and  by  means  of  an  attempt  to  unscrew 
the  bottom,  we  became  equally  certain  that  the 
apple  did  not  enter  from  below.  We  held  to  the 
notion  that  by  some  occult  means  the  bottle  had 
been  made  in  two  pieces,  and  afterwards  united  in 
so  careful  a  manner  that  no  trace  of  the  joint 
remained.  We  were  hardly  satisfied  with  the 
theory,  but  as  no  philosopher  was  there  to  suggest 
another  hypothesis,  we  let  the  matter  rest.  One 
day  next  summer  we  chanced  to  see  upon  a  bough 
another  phial,  the  first  cousin  of  our  old  friend, 
within  which  was  growing  a  little  apple,  which  had 
been  passed  through  the  neck  of  the  bottle  while 
it  was  extremely  small.  "  Nature  well  known,  no 
prodigies  remain ;"  the  grand  secret  was  out.  We 
did  not  cry  "Eureka!  Eureka!"  but  we  might  have 
done  so  if  we  had  then  been  versed  in  the  Greek 
tongue. 

"  '  This  discovery  of  our  juvenile  days  shall  serve 
for  an  illustration  at  the  present  moment.  Let  us 
get  the  apples  into  the  bottle  while  they  are  little, 
which,  being  translated,  signifies  let  us  bring  the 
young  ones  into  the  house  of  God  in  the  hope  that 


22        LIFE  AND  WORK'  OF  REV.  C.  II.  SPUROEO.Y. 

in  after  days  they  will  love  the  place  where  His 
Honor  dwelleth,  and  then  seek  and  find  eternal  life. 
Sermons  should  not  be  so  long  and  dull  as  to  weary 
the  young  folk,  or  else  mischief  will  come  of  it; 
but  with  interesting  preaching  to  secure  attention, 
and  loving  teachers  to  press  home  the  truth  upon 
the  youthful  heart,  we  shall  not  have  to  complain 
of  the  next  generation  that  they  have  forgotten 
their  resting-places. 

"In  this  best  parlor  grandfather  would  usually 
sit  on  Sunday  mornings  and  prepare  himself  for 
preaching.  I  was  put  into  the  room  with  him  that 
I  might  be  quiet,  and  as  a  rule  The  Evangelical 
Magazine  was  given  me.  This  contained  a  por- 
trait of  a  reverend  divine,  and  one  picture  of  a 
mission-station.  Grandfather  often  requested  me 
to  be  quiet,  and  always  gave  as  a  reason  that  I 
'had  the  magazine.'  I  did  not  at  the  time  perceive 
the  full  force  of  the  argument  to  be  derived  from 
that  fact,  but  no  doubt  my  venerable  relative  knew 
more  about  the  sedative  effect  of  the  magazine  than 
I  did.  I  cannot  support  his  opinion  from  personal 
experience.  Another  means  of  stilling  'the  child' 
was  much  more  effectual.  I  was  warned  that  per 
haps  grandpa  would  not  be  able  to  preach  if  I 
distracted  him;    and  then — ah!    then  what  would 


crrn.nirooD.  23 

happen  if  poor  people  did  not  learn  the  way  to 
heaven?  This  mack-  me  look  at  the  portrait  and 
the  missionary-station  once  more.  Little  did  I 
dream  that  some  other  child  would  one  day  see  my 
face  in  that  wonderful  evangelical  portrait-gallery. 

"  On  the  left,  nearly  hidden  by  a  shrub,  is  a  very 
important  window,  for  it  let  light  into  the  room 
wherein  were  the  oven,  the  mangle,  &c. ;  best  of 
all,  the  kneading-trough.  How  often  have  I  gone 
to  that  kneading-trough,  for  it  had  a  little  shelf  in 
it,  and  there  would  be  placed  something  for  the 
child/ — a  bit  of  pastry,  which  was  called  by  me, 
according  to  its  size,  a  pig  or  a  rabbit,  which  had 
little  ears  and  two  currants  for  eyes,  was  carefully 
placed  in  that  sacred  shrine,  like  the  manna  in  the 
ark.  Dear  grandmother,  how  much  you  labored 
to  spoil  that  'child!'  Yet  your  memory  is  more 
dear  to  him  than  that  of  wiser  folks,  who  did  not 
spoil  the  child.  Do  you  now  look  down  upon  your 
petted  grandson?  Do  you  feel  as  if  he  would  have 
been  better  if  3-011  had  been  sour  and  hard?  Not 
a  bit  of  it.  Aunt  Ann,  who  had  a  finger  in  it  al. 
is  not  a  bit  penitent,  but  would  spoil  'the  child' 
again  if  she  had  a  chance. 

"There  was   a   sitting-room   at  the  back  of  the 
house,  where  the  family  met  for  meals.     In  that 


24         LIFE  AND  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  II.  SPURGEON 

blank  side  there  certainly  was  a  window  looking 
out  upon  the  garden,  and  we  cannot  make  out  why 
the  photograph  does  not  show  it.  There  are  some 
faint  indications,  but  one  has  to  look  long  to  spy 
them.  When  I  last  saw  the  keeping-room,  a  bit  of 
ivy  had  forced  its  way  through  the  lath  and  plaster, 
and  had  been  trained  along  the  inside  of  the  room; 
but  in  my  childish  days  we  were  not  so  verdant.  I 
remember  a  mark  on  the  paper  which  had  been 
made  by  the  finger  of  one  of  my  uncles,  so  they 
told  me,  when  one  year  the  flour  was  so  bad  that 
it  turned  into  a  paste,  or  pudding,  inside  the  loaf, 
and  could  not  be  properly  made  into  bread.  His- 
tory has  before  this  been  learned  from  hand-writings 
on  the  wall.  There  was  a  mysterious  jack  over  the 
fire-place,  and  with  that  fire-place  itself  I  was  very 
familiar;  for  candles  were  never  used  extravagantly 
in  grandfather's  house,  and  if  anyone  went  out  of 
the  room  and  took  the  candle  with  them,  it  was  just 
a  little  darker,  not  very  much ;  and  if  one  wished  to 
read,  the  fire-light  was  the  only  resort.  I  think 
there  were  mould  candles  now  and  then  in  the.  best 
room,  but  that  was  only  on  high  days  and  holidays. 
My  opinion,  derived  from  personal  observation,  was 
that  all  every-day  candles  were  made  of  rushes  and 
tallow. 


CHILDHOOD  25 

"Our  young  readers  in  London  and  other  large 
towns  have  probably  never  seen  a  pair  of  snuffers, 
much  less  the  flint  and  steel  with  which  a  light 
had  to  be  painfully  obtained  by  the  help  of  a 
tinder-box  and  brimstone  match.  What  a  job  on  a 
cold,  raw  morning  to  strike  and  strike,  and  see  the 
sparks  die  out  because  the  tinder  was  damp!  We 
are  indeed  living  in  an  age  of  light  when  we  com- 
pare our  incandescent  gas-burners  and  electric 
lights  with  the  rush-lights  of  our  childhood.  And 
yet  the  change  is  not  all  one  way;  for,  if  we  have 
more  light,  we  have  also  more  fog  and  smoke,  at 
least  in  London. 

"A  quaint  old  winding  stair  led  to  the  upper 
chambers.  The  last  time  I  occupied  the  best  bed 
room  the  floor  seemed  to  be  anxious  to  go  out  of 
the  window,  at  least  it  inclined  that  way.  There 
seemed  to  be  a  chirping  of  birds  very  near  my 
pillow  in  the  morning,  and  I  discovered  that  swal- 
lows had  built  outside  the  plaster,  and  sparrows  had 
found  a  hole  that  admitted  them  inside  of  it,  that 
they  might  lay  their  young.  It  is  not  always  that 
one  can  lie  in  bed  and  study  ornithology.  I  confess 
that  I  liked  all  this  rural  life,  and  the  old  chintz 
bed-furniture,  and  the  ancient  and  totterv  mansion 
altogether. 


26        LIFE  AND  WORK  OF  RE)'.  C.  II.  SPURGE  OX. 

"I  am  afraid  I  am  amusing  myself  rather  than 
my  reader,  and  so  I  will  not  weary  him  with  more 
than  this  one  bit  of  rigmarole  just  now.  But  there 
was  one  place  up  stairs  which  I  cannot  omit,  even 
at  the  risk  of  being  wearisome.  Opening  out  of 
one  of  the  bedrooms  there  was  a  little  chamber  of 
which  the  window  had  been  blocked  up  by  that 
wretched  window-duty.  When  the  original  founder 
of  Stambourne  Meeting  quitted  the  Church  of  Eng- 
land, to  form  a  separate  congregation,  he  would 
seem  to  have  been  in  possession  of  a  fair  estate, 
and  the  house  was  quite  a  noble  one  for  those  times. 
Before  the  light-excluding  tax  had  come  into  opera- 
tion that  little  room  was  the  minister's  study  and 
closet  for  prayer;  and  it  was  a  very  nice,  cosy 
room,  too.  In  my  time  it  was  a  dark  den,  but  it 
contained  books,  and  this  made  it  a  gold-mine  to  me. 
Therein  was  fulfilled  the  promise,  'I  will  give  thee 
treasures  of  darkness.'  Some  of  these  were  enor- 
mous folios,  such  as  a  boy  could  hardly  lift.  Here 
I  struck  acquaintance  first  with  the  martyrs,  and 
speciallv  with  'Old  Bonner,'  who  burned  them  ; 
next,  with  Bunyan  and  his  pilgrims  ;  and  further 
on,  with  the  great  masters  of  Scriptural  theology, 
with  whom  no  moderns  are  worthy  to  be  named  in 
the  same  day.     Even  the  old  editions  are  precious 


CHILDHOOD.  27 

to  me,  with  their  margins  and  old-fashioned  notes. 
Jt  is  easy  to  tell  a  real  Puritan,  even  by  the  shape 
of  the  book  and  the  look  of  the  type  ;  and  I  con- 
fess a  prejudice  against  nearly  all  the  new  editions, 
and  a  preference  for  the  originals,  even  though 
clothed  in  sheepskins  and  goatskins,  or  shut  in  the 
hardest  of  boards.  Tt  made  my  eyes  water  to  see 
a  number  of  these  old  books  in  the  new  manse.  I 
wonder  whether  some  other  boy  will  love  them,  and 
love  to  revive  that  grand  old  divinity  which  will  yet 
be  to  England  her  balm  and  benison. 

"Out  of  the  darkened  room  I  fetched  those  old 
authors  when  I  was  yet  a  youth,  and  never  was  I 
happier  than  wrhen  in  their  company.  Out  of  the 
present  contempt,  into  which  Puritanism  has  fallen, 
many  brave  hearts  and  true  will  fetch  it,  by  the 
help  of  God,  ere  many  years  have  passed.  Those 
who  have  daubed  at  the  windows  will  yet  be  sur- 
prised to  see  heaven's  light  beaming  on  the  old 
truth,  and  then  breaking  forth  from  it  to  their  own 
confusion." 

Mr.  Spurgeon  also  tells  the  following  story  about 
himself  at  that  time.  "When  I  was  a  very  small 
boy,  I  wras  staying  at  my  grandfather's,  where  I  had 
aforetime  spent  my  earliest  days ;  and,  as  the  manner 
was,  I  read  the  scriptures  at  family  prayers.      Once 


28        LIFE  AXD  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  II.  SPURGEON. 

upon  a  time,  when  reading  the  passage  in  the  Book 
of  Revelation  which  mentions  the  bottomless  pit,  I 
paused  and  said,  c  Granpa,  what  can  this  mean?' 
His  answer  was  kind  but  unsatisfactory:  'Pooh, 
pooh,  child,  go  on.'  The  child  intended,  however, 
to  have  an  explanation,  and  therefore  selected  the 
same  chapter  morning  after  morning,  Sunday 
included,  and  always  halted  at  the  same  verse 
to  repeat  the  inquiry.  At  length  the  venerable 
patriarch  capitulated  at  discretion,  by  saying, 
'Well,  dear,  what  is  it  that  puzzles  you?'  Now 
the  child  had  often  seen  baskets  with  very  frail 
bottoms,  which  in  the  course  of  wear  became 
bottomless,  and  allowed  the  fruit  placed  therein  to 
fall  upon  the  ground.  Here  then,  was  the  puzzle: 
If  the  pit  aforesaid  had  no  bottom,  where  would  all 
the  people  fall  who  dropped  out  at  its  lower  end? 
A  puzzle  which  rather  startled  the  propriety  of 
family  worship,  and  had  to  be  laid  aside  for  expla- 
nation at  a  more  convenient  season.  Questions  of 
this  simple  and  natural  character  would  frequently 
break  up  into  paragraphs  the  family  bible-reading, 
and  had  there  not  been  a  world  of  love  and  license 
allowed  to  the  inquisitive  reader,  he  would  soon 
have  been  deposed  from  office." 


PREMONITIONS  AND  PREDICTIONS.  29 


PREMONITIONS  AND  PREDICTIONS  OF 
GREATNESS. 

I\  /IR.  SPURGEON  gave  evidence  of  goodness 
*■*  *  and  greatness  in  early  life.  "As  a  youth  he 
was  chaste,  moral  and  guarded  in  his  deportment." 
"His  moral  character,  especially  his  love  of  truth, 
was  very  conspicuous."  He  was  a  diligent  student, 
practicing  self-denial  to  secure  an  education,  and 
carrying  off  prizes  before  all  competitors.  His 
grandfather  writes,  "I  do  not  remember  ever  hear- 
ing of  his  speaking  anything  but  the  truth.  I 
cannot  remember  that  we  had  ever  an  occasion  to 
correct  him  for  any  false  tale."  His  boldness  and 
fidelity  as  a  champion  of  right  is  foreshadowed  in 
the  following  anecdote :  Before  he  was  six  years 
old,  and  in  the  spring  of  1840,  seeing  a  man  who 
had  made  a  profession  of  religion  standing  in  the 
streets  of  the  village  with  others  of  doubtful  char- 
acter, he  went  up  to  the  inconsistent  professor  and 
to  his  astonishment  demanded,  "What  doest  thou 
here,  Elijah?" 


xo       LIFE  AND  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  II.  SPURGEON. 


PROPHECY  OF  RICHARD  KNILL. 

THERE  was  a  prophecy  concerning  Mr.  Spur- 
geon  made  when  he  was  a  child  ten  years  of 
age  that  will  be  interesting  to  relate.  It  was  very 
remarkable.  He  was  spending  his  vacation  at  Stam- 
bourne  with  his  grandfather.  On  that  occasion  the 
Rev.  Richard  Knill  came  on  Friday  to  remain  over 
the  Sabbath,  which  was  the  anniversary  of  the  Mis- 
sionary Society.  He  came  to  grandfather  Spur- 
geon's  house  to  remain  and  preach  on  Sunday.  He 
heard  Charles  read  a  chapter  out  of  the  scriptures  at 
worship,  and  commended  him.  He  said,  "I  have 
heard  old  ministers  and  young  ones  read  well, 
but  I  never  heard  a  little  boy  read  so  correctly 
before."  He  invited  the  boy  to  walk  with  him 
before  breakfast  in  the  garden,  and  early  in  the 
morning  a  tap  at  the  door  called  the  child  from  his 
bed.  The  conversation  was  about  Jesus.  They 
both  entered  the  great  sugar-loaf  arbor  of  yew 
where  they  knelt  in  prayer,  Mr.  Knill  praying 
with  his  arms  around  the  boy  for  the  salvation  of 
his  soul.  Feeling  a  singular  interest  in  the  child 
he  called  the  family  together  before  leaving  and 
taking  Charles  upon  his  knee,  said: 


PROPHECY  OF  RICHARD  KNILL.  31 

"I    do   not   know  how  it  is,  but  I   feel   a  solemn 

presentment  that  this  child  xvill  preach  the  Gospel  to 

thou sands ',  and  God  will  bless  him  to  many  souls. 

So  sure   am   I   of   this,  that  when   my   little   man 

preaches  in  Rowland  Hill's  Chapel,  as  he  will  do 

one  day,  I  should  like  him  to  promise  me  that  he 

will  give  out  the  hymn  commencing  : 

'God  moves  in  a  mysterious  way 
His  wonders  to  perform.'  " 

Rowland  Hill's  was  the  largest  church  then  in 
London  belonging  to  the  Dissenters. 

This  promise  was  made,  and,  says  Mr.  Spurgeon, 
"The  prophetic  declaration  was  fulfilled.  When 
I  had  the  pleasure  of  preaching  the  Word  of  Life 
in  Surrey  Chapel,  (Rowland  Hill's,)  and  also  when 
I  preached  in  Mr.  Hill's  first  pulpit  at  Wootton- 
under-Edge,  the  hymn  was  sung  in  both  places. 
Did  the  words  of  Mr.  Hill  help  to  bring  about  their 
own  fulfillment?  I  think  so.  I  believed  them, 
and  looked  forward  to  the  time  when  I  should 
preach  the  Word.  I  felt  very  powerfully  that  no 
unconverted  person  might  dare  to  enter  the  minis- 
try. This  made  me  the  more  intent  on  seeking 
salvation,  and  more  hopeful  of  it;  and  when  by 
grace  I  was  enabled  to  cast  myself  on  the  Savior's 
love,  it  was  not  long  before  my  mouth  began  to 


32        LIFE  AND  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  II.  SPURGE  OX. 

speak  of  His  redemption.  How  came  that  sober- 
minded  minister  to  speak  thus  to  and  of  one  into 
whose  future  God  alone  could  see?  How  came  it 
that  he  lived  to  rejoice  with  his  younger  brother  in 
the  truth  of  all  that  he  had  spoken?  The  answer 
is  plain.  But  mark  one  particular  lesson  :  Would,, 
to  God  that  we  were  all  as  wise  as  Richard  Knill 
in  habitually  sowing  beside  all  waters.  Mr.  Knill 
might  very  naturally  have  left  the  minister's  little 
grandson  on  the  plea  that  he  had  other  duties  of 
more  importance  than  praying  with  children  ;  and 
yet  who  shall  say  that  he  did  not  effect  as  much  by 
that  simple  act  of  humble  ministry  as  by  dozens  of 
sermons  addressed  to  crowded  audiences  ?  To  me 
his  tenderness  in  considering  the  little  one  was 
fraught  with  everlasting  consequences,  and  I  must 
ever  feel  that  his  time  was  well  laid  out." 

Rev.  James  Spurgeon,  grandfather,  writing  of 
the  prediction  of  Mr.  Knill  at  Stambourne,  con- 
cerning Chas.  H.  Spurgeon,  says:  "It  appears  to 
me  as  if  he  spoke  under  a  spirit  of  prophecy. 
When  Mr.  Knill  first  heard  of  my  grandson  being 
in  town  (London)  he  wrote  to  me  for  his  address. 
The  reason  he  gave  was,  being  then  from  home, 
with  a  large  party  of  friends,  after  dinner  the  con- 
versation turned  upon  a   wonderful  preacher  who 


PROPHECY  OF   RICHARD   KXII.L.  33 

was  pastor  of  the  New  Park-street  Chapel.  Mr. 
Knill  inquired  his  name,  and  the  answer  given  was, 
'Mr.  Spurgeon.'  'I  know  him,'  said  Mr.  Knill. 
'No,  no,'  replied  his  friends;  SI  think  not.'  'Yes, 
I  do,  sir,'  replied  Mr.  Knill.  'I  saw  him  at  his 
grandfather's  house  some  years  ago,  when  I 
preached  in  the  village  for  the  missionary  cause, 
and  I  have  always  been  convinced  that  he  would 
one  day  be  a  most  extraordinary  character  in  the 
Christian  world.  I  remember,'  continued  Mr. 
Knill,  'taking  the  lad  into  the  garden;  I  conversed 
with  him,  and  prayed  with  him,  and  found  that  he 
possessed  a  mind  far  beyond  his  years.'  ' 

Mr.  Knill  died  at  Chester  in  1857  or  1858,  and 
was  buried  in  the  cemetery  there ;  the  greater  part 
of  the  citizens  showed  their  respect  by  attending 
his  funeral,  and  among  them  was  Dr.  Graham, 
Bishop  of  Chester. 

"Here,  then,"  says  an  author,  "we  have  very 
striking  testimony  to  prove  that  very  early  in  life, 
Mr.  Spurgeon  manifested  these  evidences  of  future 
usefulness  and  distinction  which  have  been  so 
amply  and  so  remarkably  realized."  We  give 
another  instance  proving  the  same. 

Mr.  Spurgeon's  grandfather  says:  "  vVhen  my 
grandson  was    quite    young,  he  went   into  a    field 


34        LIFE  AND  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  II.  SF  URGE  OX. 

where  a  very  pious  man  was  plowing.  He  was  a 
member  of  my  church.  The  child  began  to  ask 
some  questions  on  religious  subjects  which  the  good 
man  thought  beyond  his  age.  The  conversation 
continued  for  some  time  on  spiritual  subjects,  until 
the  man  was  quite  amazed  at  what  he  had  heard, 
although  he  was  a  man  deeply  experienced  in  the 
things  of  God.  At  last  the  man  said  to  my  grand- 
son, <  My  dear  boy,  God  has  given  you  great  gifts, 
great  grace  and  great  experience.  My  prayer  to 
God  for  3^ou  is  that  he  may  keep  you  truly  humble, 
for  if  you  rise  one  inch  above  the  ground,  you 
must  be  cut  down.'  I  am  amazed  and  thankful  to 
God  that  my  grandson  is  kept  humble." 

Mr.  Spurgeon's  parents  shared  with  others  the 
conviction  that  their  son  would  one  day  occupy  a 
distinguished  place  in  the  world,  and  their  chief 
anxiety  was  that  he  should  be  good  as  well  as 
great,  and  that  he  should  excel  in  the  service  of 
God.  Being  a  boy  of  strong  passions  and  a  deter 
mined  will,  they  had  great  fear  at  one  time 
concerning  him,  and  prayed  earnestly  that  God 
would  give  him  grace  to  keep  his  will  subject  to 
the  will  of  God.  It  was,  therefore,  a  great  gratifi 
cation  to  them  to  see  him  yield  the  fruits  of  careful 
religious  training  and  instruction  in  the  scriptures 


PROPHECY  OF  RICHARD   A'.YILL.  35 

in  early  life.  In  matters  of  religion  he  was  beyond 
his  years,  and  the  teacher  and  leadei  of  his  com- 
panions. He  had,  even  at  such  a  tender  age,  the 
clearest  conception  of  the  doctrines  of  God's  word. 
With  a  memory  of  great  vigor  and  power,  he 
treasured  up  the  best  things  in  God's  kingdom  for 
future  use.  He  was  faithful  and  true,  and  loved  the 
company  of  God's  people,  with  whom  he  delighted 
to  talk  with  beaming  face  of  Christ  and  salvation. 

Rev.  John  Spurgeon  says  of  his  son  Charles, 
that  when  but  a  youth  scarcely  in  his  teens,  he  was 
often  found  in  the  hayrack  or  the  manger  reading 
aloud,  talking,  or  sometimes  preaching  to  his 
brothers  and  sisters,  so  anxious  was  he  to  be  doino- 
good.  Such  exercises  as  these  encouraged  the 
hope,  even  then  entertained  by  his  parents,  that 
their  good  and  intelligent  boy  would  devote  himself 
to  the  gospel  ministry,  and  they  took  these  as  early 
manifestations  of  the  inclination  of  his  mind. 

A  letter  written  in  1848  or  1849,  when  he  was 
but  fourteen  years  old,  to  his  uncle  plainly  fore- 
shadows his  useful  and  wonderful  career.  It  might 
have  been  written  by  him  in  later  years  and  still 
have  done  him  credit.  Here  are  some  of  the  wise 
things  said  in   it  : 

"You   have  doubtless  heard  of  me  as  a  top-tree 


36        LIFE  AND  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  If.  SPURGEON. 

Antinomian.  I  trust  you  know  enough  of  me  to 
disbelieve  it.  *  *  I  groan  daily  under  a  body 
of  sin  and  corruption.  *  *  I  become  more  and 
more  convinced  that  to  attempt  to  be  saved  by  a 
mixed  covenant  of  words  and  faith  is,  in  the  words 
of  Berridge,    'to   yoke   a   snail    and   an   elephant.' 

*  *     The  Rock  of  Ages  is  our  only  hiding-place. 

*  *  I  rejoice  in  an  assured  knowledge  by  faith 
of  my  interest  in  Christ,  and  of  the  certainty  of  my 
eternal  salvation.  *  *  I  glory  in  the  distin- 
guishing grace  of  God.  Yet  what  strivings,  what 
conflicts  and  dangers,  what  enemies  stand  in  the 
way.  *  *  On  my  bended  knees  I  have  often  to 
cry  for  succor  and  bless  His  name;  He  has  hith- 
erto heard   my  cry." 


DISTRESSING  DOUBT.  37 


DISTRESSING    DOUBT. 

AT  another  time  he  passed  through  a  period  of 
distressing  doubt.  In  speaking  of  a  free- 
thinker he  remarks  :  "I,  too,  have  been  like  him. 
There  was  an  evil  hour  in  which  I  slipped  the 
anchor  of  my  faith ;  I  cut  the  cable  of  my  belief  ; 
I  no  longer  moored  myself  hard  by  the  coasts  of 
Revelation;  I  allowed  my  vessel  to  drift  before  the 
wind.  I  said  to  reason,  'be  thou  my  captain;'  I 
said  to  my  own  brain,  'be  thou  my  rudder;'  and  I 
started  on  my  mad  voyage.  Thank  God,  it  is  all 
over  now.  But  I  will  tell  you  its  brief  history.  It 
was  one  hurried  sailing  over  the  tempestuous  ocean 
of  free  thought." 

"  The  result  was,  that  from  doubting  some  things, 
he  came  to  question  everything,  even  his  own  exis- 
tence. Thus  'the  devil  foileth  himself.'  Faith 
came  to  the  rescue  of  bewildered  reason,  and  from 
that  perilous  voyage  brought  back  the  wanderer 
'  safe  to  land.'  She  who  had  nursed  him  in  infancy, 
like  the  grandmother  of  Timothy,  is  pictured  as 
exclaiming  before  the  throne  of  God  in  heaven, 
'I  thank  Thee,   O  thou   Ever-gracious  One,  that 


38       LIFE  AND  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  II.  SPURGEON. 

he  who  was  my  child  on  earth,  has  now  become 
Thy  child  in  light!'  There,  too,  having  con- 
quered those  violent  extremes  to  which  satan  often 
drives  the  sinner  who  is  repenting  of  his  sins,  and 
having  fled  for  refuge,  and  found  a  welcome  and 
safety  in  the  bosom  of  a  crucified  Jesus,  his  sins 
forgiven,  and  his  spirit  enjoving  the  liberty  of  the 
adopted  children  of  God." 


IffS  CONVERSION.  39 


HIS    CONVERSION. 

rT"vHE  story  of  his  conversion,  as  told  by  himself, 
*  is  well  worth  relating.  He  tells  it  repeatedly. 
"It  pleased  God  in  my  childhood  to  convince  me 
of  sin.  I  lived  a  miserable  creature,  finding  no 
hope,  no  comfort,  thinking  that  surely  God  would 
never  save  me.  At  last  the  worst  came  to  the 
worst;  I  was  miserable;  I  could  do  scarcely  any- 
thing. My  heart  was  broken  in  pieces.  Six- 
months  did  I  pray;  prayed  agonizingly  with  all 
my  heart,  and  never  had  an  answer.  I  resolved 
that,  in  the  town  where  I  lived,  I  would  visit  every 
place  of  worship  in  order  to  find  out  the  way  of 
salvation.  I  felt  I  was  willing  to  do  anything  and 
be  anything  if  God  would  only  forgive  me.  I  set 
off,  determined  to  go  round  to  all  the  chapels,  and 
I  went  to  all  the  places  of  worship;  and  though  I 
dearly  venerate  the  men  that  occupy  those  pulpits 
now,  and  did  then,  I  am  bound  to  say  that  I  never 
heard  them  once  fully  preach  the  gospel.  I  mean  by 
that,  they  preached  truth,  great  truths,  many  good 
truths  that  were  fitting  to  many  of  their  congrega- 
tions,— spiritually     minded    people  ;    but    what    I 


40        LIFE  AND  WORK"  OF  REV.  C.  If.  SPURGEON 

wanted  to  know  was,  how  can  I  get  my  sins  for- 
given? And  they  never  once  told  me  that.  I 
wanted  to  hear  how  a  poor  sinner,  under  a  sense 
of  sin,  night  find  peace  with  God  ;  and  when  I 
went  J  iu-ard  a  sermon  on  'Be  not  deceived;  God 
is  not  mocked,"  which  cut  me  up  worse,  hut  did 
not  say  how  I  might  escape." 

"At  last  one  snowy  day,  it  snowed  so  much  I 
could  not  go  to  the  place  I  had  determined  to  go 
to,  and  I  was  obliged  to  stop  on  the  road,  and  it 
was  a  blessed  stop  for  me.  I  found  rather  an 
obscure  street,  and  turned  down  a  court,  and  there 
was  a  little  chapel.  '"  "::"  It  was  a  Primitive 
Methodist's  chapel.  *  "::"  So,  sitting  down,  the 
service  went  on,  but  no  minister  came.  At  last  a 
very  thin-looking  man  came  into  the  pulpit  and 
opened  his  Bible  and  read  these  words  :  '  Look 
unto  me,  and  be  ye  saved,  all  the  ends  of  the 
earth.'  Just  setting  his  eyes  upon  me  as  if  he 
knew  me  all  by  heart,  he  said:  'Young  man,  you 
are  in  trouble.'  Well,  I  was,  sure  enough.  Says 
he,  '  You  will  never  get  out  of  it  unless  you  look  to 
Christ.'  And  then,  lifting  up  his  hands,  he  cried 
out,  as  only,  I  think,  a  Primitive  Methodist  could 
do,  'Look,  look,  look!  It  is  only  look!'  said  he. 
I  saw  at  once  the  way  of   salvation.      Oh,  how  I 


HIS  CONVERSION.  41 

did  leap  for  joy  at  that  moment!  Like  as 

when  the  brazen  serpent  was  lifted  up,  they  only 
looked  and  were  healed.  I  had  been  waiting  to 
do  fifty  things,  but  when  I  heard  this  word,  'look/ 
what  a  charming  word  it  seemed  to  me.  Oh,  I 
looked  until  I  eould  almost  have  looked  my  eyes 
away !  and  in  heaven  I  will  look  on  still  in  my  joy 
unutterable." 

This  was  in  Colchester,  to  which  his  parents  had 
removed  from  Kelvedon  while  he  was  at  his  grand- 
father's, and  where,  in  1864,  Mr.  Spurgeon  after- 
wards preached  on  one  occasion  in  the  same  chapel. 
He  took  as  his  text  Isaiah  xlv:  22,  and  preached 
from  the  same  words,  related  the  account  of  his 
conversion  to  the  congregation,  and  pointed  to  the 
very  pew  under  the  gallery  where  he  was  sitting  at 
the  time. 

He  tells  his  conversion  in  The  Sword  and  the 
Trowel,  his  magazine,  for  the  benefit  of  boys  : 

"I  tell  you,  boys,  the  day  I  gave  myself  up  to 
the  Lord  Jesus,  to  be  His  servant,  was  the  very 
best  day  of  my  life.  Then  I  began  to  be  safe  and 
happy;  then  I  found  out  the  secret  of  living,  and 
had  a  worthy  object  for  my  life's  exertions,  and  an 
unfailing  comfort  for  life's  trouble.  Because  I 
would  wish  everybody  to  have  a  bright  eye,  a  light 


42        LIFE  AND  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  II.  SPURGEON. 

tread,  a  joyful  heart,  and  overflowing  spirits,  I 
plead  with  him  to  consider  whether  he  will  not 
follow  my  example,  for  I  speak  from  experience." 

Mr.  Spurgeon,  like  Paul  the  apostle,  loves  to 
relate  the  story  of  his  conversion,  which  he  tells 
over  and  over  again.  Once  when  he  was  telling 
the  story  of  his  salvation,  "a  good  friend  in  the 
company  cried  out,  '  tell  us  something  fresh,  old 
fellow.'  Mr.  Spurgeon,  not  the  least  disconcerted, 
replied,  'now,  really,  in  preaching  ten  times  a 
week  we  cannot  always  say  things  fresh.  You 
have  heard  John  Gough,  and  you  know  he  tells  his 
tales  over  again.  I  have  nothing  but  the  old 
gospel,  He  that  believeth  and  is  baptized  shall  be 
saved.' '  With  this  Mr.  Spurgeon  went  on  with 
his  story. 

But  who  was  the  preacher  whose  sermon  was 
instrumental  in  young  Spurgeon's  conversion  ? 
Mr.  George  J.  Stevenson,  to  whose  biographical 
sketch  of  the  London  preacher  we  are  greatly 
indebted  for  many  facts,  says  : 

"Mr.  Danzy  Sheen,  a  Primitive  Methodist  min- 
ister, has  been  at  much  pains  to  gather  up  the  real 
facts  of  the  case,  and  these  he  has  published  in  a 
pamphlet  entitled  '  Pastor  Spurgeon  :  his  Conver- 
sion, Labor  and  Success.' 


HIS  CONVERSION.  43 

"The  result  of  the  inquiries  made  by  Danzy 
Sheen  show  that  Rev.  Robart  Eaglen  was  the 
Primitive  Methodist  minister  traveling  in  the 
Ipswich  circuit  in  the  year  1850-1,  in  which  cir- 
cuit Colchester  was  a  branch  mission.  That  Mr. 
Eaglen  preached  in  Colchester  Chapel  on  Sunday 
morning,  December  15th,  1850  ;  that  the  snow- 
storm delayed  his  arrival  at  the  chapel  considerably 
beyond  the  proper  time ;  that  he  preached  from  the 
words,  '  Look  unto  me  and  be  saved,'  etc. — Isaiah 
xlv:   22." 

"Mr.  John  Bloomiield,  of  Colchester,  a  Primitive 
Methodist  local  preacher  of  that  town,  who  has 
known  Charles  Spurgeon  from  a  child,  and  was 
intimately  acquainted  with  all  of  the  family,  thus 
wrote  to  Danzy  Sheen:  'I  know  that  Mr.  Eaglen 
preached  the  sermon  under  which  Mr.  Spurgeon 
was  converted,  for  I  was  there  myself,  and  heard 
it;  and  during  the  following  week  Mr.  Spurgeon's 
father  asked  me  who  the  preacher  was  (that 
preached  on  that  Sunday),  and  where  he  lived. 
I  told  him  it  was  Mr.  Eaglen  of  Ipswich.' 

"In  October,  1868,  Mr.  Eaglen  supplied  Danzy 
Sheen  with  the  outline  of  the  sermon  alluded.  He 
remarks:  'Very  many  besides  Rev.  C.  H.  Spurgeon 
have  been  converted  through  the  preaching  of  this 


44        LIFE  AND  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  II.  SPURGEON 

sermon.  But  no  preacher  will  be  surprised  at  this; 
for  from  this  meagre  outline  it  is  clear  that  the 
structure  and  matter  of  the  discourse  are  such  as  to 
make  a  polished  shaft  in  the  quiver  of  any  spiritual 
archer.' 

"  Some  years  afterwards  the  Rev.  Thomas  Lowe 
introduced  Mr.  Eaglen  to  Mr.  Spurgeon  at  Lowe- 
stoft, as  his  spiritual  father;  but  Mr.  Spurgeon  did 
not  recognize  him,  because  he  had  in  the  meantime 
gathered  much  flesh,  and  was  neither  so  thin  nor 
so  pale  as  when  the  '  Look  and  be  Saved '  sermon 
was  preached  in  1850.  'But,'  said  Mr.  Spurgeon 
to  Danzy  Sheen,  '  I  never  expect  to  look  on  the 
face  of  that  preacher  again  until  the  morning  of 
resurrection.'  " 


UNITES  WITH    THE    CHURCH.  45 


UNITES  WITH   THE  CHURCH 

IV  /I  R.  STEVENSON  writes:  "Brought  up,  as 
*■  *  *■  he  had  been,  among  Independents,  his  own 
views  on  one  point  of  church  organization  now 
assumed  a  form  differing  materially  from  what  his 
parents  had  adopted.  Having  experienced  a  change 
of  heart  he  felt  it  to  be  laid  upon  him  as  an  impera- 
tive duty  to  make  a  full  and  public  confession  of 
the  change  by  public  baptism.  He  had  united  him- 
self formally  with  the  Baptist  people  the  year 
before:  now  he  felt  constrained  to  fully  cast  in  his 
lot,  and  become  one  of  them  entirely,  *  *  and 
the  necessary  steps  were  taken  by  his  immersion." 
Before  joining  the  Baptist  church  young  Spur- 
geon  had  dutifully  corresponded  with  his  father 
about  it,  who  when  he  found  that  his  son  was  a 
Baptist  by  conviction,  and  that  no  argument  could 
turn  him  or  shake  his  views,  made  no  further  oppo- 
sition to  his  immersion,  and  gave  his  consent. 
"The  new  convert  walked  from  Newmarket  to 
Isleham,  seven  miles,  on  May  2d,  and  staying  with 
the  family  of  Mr.  Cantlow,  the  Baptist  minister 
there,  he  was  by  that  gentleman  publicly  baptized 


4.6       LIFE  AND  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  H.  SPURGE  OX. 

in  that  village  on  Friday,  May  3,  1851,  being  in 
his  sixteenth  year."  He  wrote  to  his  father,  "  It 
is  very  pleasing  tc  me  that  the  day  on  which  I  shall 
openly  profess  the  name  of  Jesus  is  my  mother's 
birthday.  May  it  be  to  both  of  us  a  foretaste  of 
many  happy  and  glorious  days  yet  to  come."  After 
this  he  became  more  active  than  ever  in  the  Lord's 
work. 

His  godly  mother  said  to  him  one  day:  "Oh, 
Charley,  I  have  often  prayed  that  you  might  be 
saved,  but  never  that  you  should  become  a  Baptist." 

The  witty  reply  was:  "  God  has  answered  your 
prayers,  mother,  with  His  usual  bounty,  and  given 
you  more  than  you  asked." 

In  1850,  young  Spurgeon  removed  from  New- 
market to  Cambridge,  and  there  united  with  the 
St.  Andrew's  Street  Baptist  church,  of  which  the 
famous  Rev.  Robert  Hall  was  at  one  time  the  pas- 
tor; and  though  the  new  convert  was  only  sixteen 
years  old,  he  was  accepted  as  a  member  of  the  Lay 
Preachers'  Association  connected  with  that  church 
and  at  once  began  to  discharge  his  active  duties. 


HIS   FIRST   SERMON.  47 


HIS    FIRST    SERMON. 

VOUNG  SPURGEON  began  work  at  once  for 
*  Christ  and  for  souls.  He  carried  tracts  with 
him  wherever  he  went  and  distributed  them  ;  he 
also  revived  an  old  society  for  the  distribution  of 
tracts  at  Newmarket  ;  he  addressed  Sunday- 
school  children,  with  such  "love  and  instruction" 
that  they  flocked  to  hear  him,  besides  his  studies 
at  Mr.  Leeding's  school  at  Cambridge  occupied  him 
for  three  hours  daily,  and  his  duties  as  a  member 
of  the  Lay  Preachers'  Association,  which  led  him 
to  address  the  village  congregations  in  the  vicinity 
of  Cambridge.  The  meetings  were  held  in  the 
evenings  of  the  week  in  the  homes  of  the  people 
who  were  induced  to  come  in  their  plain  everyday 
clothes. 

Mr.  Spurgeon  relates  how  he  came  to  preach  his 
first  sermon  : 

"  We  remember  well  the  first  place  in  which  we 
addressed  a  congregation  of  adults,  and  the  wood- 
block which  illustrates  this  number  of  the  maga- 
zine sets  it  clearly  before  our  mind's  eye.  It  was 
not  our  first  public  address  by  a  great  many,   for 


48        LIFE  AND  WORK'  OF  REV.  C.  II.  SPURGEON. 

both  at  Newmarket  and  Cambridge,  and  else- 
where, the  Sabbath-school  had  afforded  us  ample 
scope  for  speaking  the  gospel.  At  Newmarket 
especially  we  had  a  considerable  admixture  of 
grown-up  folks  in  the  audience,  for  many  came  to 
hear  'the  boy'  give  addresses  to  the  school.  But 
no  regular  set  discourse  to  a  congregation  met  for 
regular  worship  had  we  delivered  till  one  eventful 
Sabbath  evening,  which  found  us  in  a  cottage  at 
Teversham,  holding  forth  before  a  little  assembly 
of  humble  villagers. 

"The  tale  is  not  a  new  one.  A  number  of 
worthy  brethren  preach  the  gospel  in  the  various 
villages  surrounding  Cambridge,  taking  each  one 
his  turn  according  to  plan.  Monday  the  presiding 
genius  was  the  venerable  Mr.  James  Vinter,  whom 
we  were  wont  to  address  as  Bishop  Vinter.    *   ■*    * 

"  We  had  one  Saturday  finished  morning  school, 
and  the  boys  were  all  going  home  for  the  half  holi- 
day, when  in  came  the  aforesaid  '  bishop '  to  ask 
us  to  go  over  to  Teversham  next  Sunday  evening, 
for  a  young  man  was  to  preach  there  who  was  not 
much  used  to  services,  and  very  likely  would  be 
glad  of  company.  That  was  a  cunningly  devised 
sentence,  if  we  remember  rightly,  and  we  think  we 
do;  for  at  the  time,  in  the  light  of  that  Sunday 


HIS  FIRST  SERMON.  49 

evening's  revelation,  we  turned  it  over  and  vastly 
admired  its  ingenuity.  A  request  to  go  and  preach 
would  have  met  with  a  decided  negative ;  but 
merely  to  act  as  company  to  a  good  brother  who 
did  not  like  to  be  lonely,  and  perhaps  might  ask  us 
to  give  out  a  hymn  or  to  pray,  was  not  at  all  a  diffi- 
cult matter,  and  the  request,  understood  in  that 
fashion,  was  cheerfully  complied  with.  Little  did 
the  lad  know  what  Jonathan  and  David  were  doing 
when  he  was  made  to  run  for  the  arrow,  and  as 
little  knew  we  when  we  were  cajoled  into  accom- 
panying a  young  man  to  Teversham. 

"Our  Sunday-school  work  was  over,  and  tea 
had  been  taken,  and  we  set  off  through  Barnwell 
and  away  along  the  Newmarket  Road  with  a  gen- 
tleman some  years  our  senior.  We  talked  of  good 
things,  and  at  last  we  expressed  our  hope  that  he 
would  feel  the  presence  of  God  while  preaching. 
He  seemed  to  start,  and  assured  us  that  he  had 
never  preached  in  his  life,  and  could  not  attempt 
such  a  thing;  he  was  looking  to  his  young  friend, 
Mr.  Spurgeon,  for  that.  This  was  a  new  view  of 
the  situation,  and  I  could  only  reply  that  I  was  no 
minister,  and  that  even  if  I  had  been,  I  was  quite 
unprepared.  My  companion  only  repeated  that  he, 
even  in  a  more  emphatic  sense,  was  not  a  preacher, 


50        LIFE  AND  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  II.  SPURGEOiX  . 

that  he  would  help  me  in  any  other  part  of  the 
service,  but  that  there  would  be  no  sermon  unless  I 
gave  them  one.  He  told  me  that  if  I  repeated  one 
of  my  Sunday-school  addresses  it  would  just  suit 
the  poor  people,  and  would  probably  give  them 
more  satisfaction  than  the  studied  sermon  of  a 
learned  divine.  I  felt  that  I  was  fairly  committed 
to  do  my  best.  I  walked  along  quietly,  lifting  up 
my  soul  to  God,  and  it  seemed  to  me  that  I  could 
surely  tell  a  few  poor  cottagers  of  the  sweetness 
and  love  of  Jesus,  for  I  felt  them  in  my  own  soul. 
Praying  for  divine  help,  I  resolved  to  make  an 
attempt.  My  text  should  be,  'Unto  you,  therefore, 
which  believe  He  is  precious,'  and  I  would  trust 
the  Lord  to  open  my  mouth  in  honor  of  His  dear 
Son.  It  seemed  a  great  risk  and  a  serious  trial; 
but  depending  upon  the  power  of  the  Holy  Ghost, 
I  would  at  least  tell  but  the  story  of  the  cross,  and 
not  allow  the  people  to  go  home  without  a  word. 

"  We  entered  the  low-pitched  room  of  the 
thatched  cottage,  where  a  few  simple-minded  farm 
laborers  and  their  wives  were  together;  we  sang 
and  prayed  and  read  the  scriptures,  and  then  came 
our  first  sermon.  How  long  and  how  short  it  was 
we  cannot  now  remember.  It  was  not  half  such  a 
task  as  we  feared  it  would  be,  but  we  were  glad  to 


II  IS  FIRST  SERMON.  51 

see  our  way  to  a  fair  conclusion  and  to  the  giving 
out  of  the  last  hymn.  To  our  own  delight  we  had 
not  broken  down,  nor  stopped  short  in  the  middle, 
nor  been  destitute  of  ideas,  and  the  desired  haven 
was  in  view.  We  made  a  finish  and  took  up  the 
book,  but  to  our  astonishment  an  aged  voice  cried 
out,  '  Bless  your  dear  heart,  how  old  are  you  ? '  our 
very  solemn  reply  was,  'You  must  wait  till  the 
service  is  over  before  making  any  such  inquiries. 
Let  us  now  sing.'  We  did  sing,  and  the  young 
preacher  pronounced  the  benediction,  and  then 
began  a  dialogue  which  enlarged  into  a  warm, 
friendly  talk,  in  which  everybody  appeared  to  take 
part.  '  How  old  are  you  ?  '  was  the  leading  question. 
'I  am  under  sixty,'  was  the  reply.  'Yes,  and 
under  sixteen,'  was  the  old  lady's  rejoinder.  '  Never 
mind  my  age,  think  of  the  Lord  Jesus  and  his 
preciousness,'  was  all  that  I  could  say,  after  prom- 
ising to  come  again  if  the  gentlemen  at  Cambridge 
thought  me  fit  to  do  so. 

"Are  there  not  other  young  men  who  might 
begin  to  speak  for  Jesus  in  some  such  lowly 
fashion — young  men  who  hitherto  have  been  as 
mute  as  fishes.  Many  of  our  young  folks  want  to 
to  do  great  things,  and  therefore  do  nothing  at  all; 
let  none  of  our  readers  become  the  victims  of  such 
an  unreasonable  ambition." 


52        LIFE  AND  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  If.  SPURGEON, 

The  young  preacher,  finding  that  his  preaching 
was  acceptable,  engaged  to  preach  every  evening, 
after  attending  to  his  duties  in  the  school  during 
the  day.  It  would  not  be  fair  to  judge  those  early 
efforts  at  preaching  of  Mr.  Spurgeon  by  the  ordi- 
nary rules  which  apply  to  public  speaking.  The 
tender  years  of  the  speaker  and  his  intense  desire 
to  be  of  some  service  in  his  Master's  kingdom  are 
sufficient  to  cover  all  his  faults.  An  aged  and 
intelligent  Christian,  who  had  heard  some  of  these 
early  sermons  in  the  cottages  of  England,  testified 
that  they  were  very  instructive  and  abounded  in 
illustrations  from  history,  geography,  astronomy, 
and  other  sources  of  knowledge. 

A  gentleman  who  heard  Mr.  Spurgeon  preach 
his  first  sermon,  and  read,  pray  and  expound  the 
word,  Says  that  he  was  attired  in  a  round  jacket 
and  broad  turn-down  collar  which  was  then  the 
fashion.  His  preaching  at  that  period  gave  "prom- 
ise that  he  would  become  a  powerful  and  popular 
preacher." 


FJKS T  PA  STORA  TE—  IV A  TERBEA  CH.  53 


FIRST  PASTORATE— WATERBEACH. 

MR.  SPURGEON'S  first  pastorate  was  at 
Waterbeach,  a  village  near  Cambridge, 
where  was  one  of  the  twelve  preaching  stations  of 
the  Lay  Preachers'  Association.  It  was  a  village 
of  1,300  inhabitants,  much  scattered.  Mr.  Spur- 
geon's  preaching  there  was  attended  by  large  con- 
gregations and  the  conversion  of  souls.  Some- 
times the  crowd  was  too  great  to  get  in,  so  that  the 
meeting  had  to  be  held  in  the  open  air:  but  what 
was  much  better,  a  reformation  in  the  habits  of  the 
people  soon  appeared.  This  little  church  unani- 
mously invited  him  to  become  its  pastor.  This 
invitation  was  accepted,  and  during  the  few  months 
of  his  pastorate  there  the  church  grew  from  forty 
members  to  one  hundred.  The  chapel  in  which 
the  church  worshiped  had  formerly  been  a  barn, 
with  whitewashed  walls  and  thatched  roof.  This 
house  still  stands,  as  does  the  house  or  cottage  at 
Teversham,  where  he  preached  his  first  sermon. 
The  church  wanted  him  to  preach  at  night,  but  he 
replied,  "I  can  not  always  preach  three  times;  I 
am  not  so  strong  as  a  man." 


54        LIFE  AND  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  II.  SPVRGEON. 

Mr.  C.  King,  one  of  the  deacons  of  the  church 
at  Waterbeach  afterwards  said,  "We  have  often 
sat  under  his  ministry  with  a  mixture  of  pleasure, 
pro/it  and  surprise,  asking,  '  whence  hath  he  this 
wisdom?  '  " 

Even  at  this  early  period,  when  he  was  only 
eighteen  years  of  age,  numerous  invitations  came 
to  him  from  even  distant  villages  to  preach  special 
sermons. 

It  was  not  simply  at  Waterbeach  that  the  young 
preacher  met  with  such  success,  but  wherever  he 
went  and  preached  the  people  crowded  to  hear 
him  and  souls  were  awakened  and  saved  :  the 
inquiry  was  heard,  wherever  he  proclaimed  the 
gospel,  What  must  I  do  to  be  saved? 

Of  his  pastorate  at  Waterbeach  Mr.  Spurgeon 
at  that  time  wrote  : 

"I  have  all  that  heart  can  wish  for;  yea,  God 
giveth  more  than  my  desire.  My  congregation  is 
as  great  and  loving  as  ever.  During  all  the  time 
I  have  been  at  Waterbeach,  I  have  had  a  different 
house  for  my  home  every  day.  Fifty-two  families 
have  thus  taken  me  in,  and  I  have  still  six  other 
invitations  not  yet  accepted.  Talk  about  people  not 
caring  for  me  because  the}7  give  me  so  little,  I  dare 
tell  any  one  under  heaven,  'tis  false!  they  do  all 


FIRST  PASTORATE— WATERBEACH.  55 

they  can.  Our  anniversary  passed  off  grandly; 
six  were  baptized;  crowds  on  crowds  stood  by  the 
river;  the  chapel  afterward  was  crammed  both  to 
tea  and  the  sermon." 

Mr.  Spurgeon  had  been  living  at  Cambridge. 
I  lis  usefulness  had  so  increased  his  duties  that  he 
found  it  requisite  to  go  to  Waterbeach  to  live 
altogether  during  the  summer  of  1853. 

"Having  by  his  earnestness,  usefulness  and  dili- 
gence obtained  great  favor  and  acceptance  among 
the  people  of  God  in  Cambridgeshire  and  Essex, 
his  fame  spread  rapidly  in  all  directions.  Besides 
visiting  many  poor  and  sick  persons,  and  administer- 
ing comfort  and  consolation  to  them,  he  had  to  travel 
many  miles  to  the  various  villages;  and  during  the 
year  previous  of  his  residing  entirely  at  Waterbeach, 
he  preached  more  than  three  hundred  and  sixty 
sermons,  and  on  nearly  every  occasion  to  overflow- 
ing audiences.  Such  increasing  and  heavy  duties 
in  the  cause  of  the  great  master  of  assemblies,  in 
no  way  lessened  his  zeal  in  the  work.  Living  in 
constant  personal  communion  with  heaven,  he  had 
a  motive  for  being  earnest,  which  mere  hirelings  in 
the  Lord's  vineyard  do  not  possess." 


56        LIFE  AXD  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  H.  SPURGEOX. 


HIS   EDUCATION. 

QOME  people  have  an  idea  that  Mr.  Spurgeon 
^  has  had  no  education.  It  is  true  that  he  had 
no  college  training,  but  by  no  means  is  he  an 
uneducated  man.  He  was  educated  at  the  best 
schools  of  his  day.  At  an  early  age  he  spent  four 
years  at  a  respectable  school  in  Colchester;  Mr. 
Henry  Lewis  was  his  teacher.  The  head  usher  in 
the  school  was  Mr.  Leeding,  to  whom  young  Spur- 
geon was  greatly  indebted  for  the  knowledge  he 
there  obtained.  Mr.  Leeding  afterwards  opened  a 
school  at  Cambridge  for  young  gentlemen.  In  the 
school  he  attended  he  studied  the  Latin,  Greek  and 
French  languages,  and  took  the  highest  rank  as  a 
scholar.  He  carried  off  prizes  in  every  school  he 
attended.  As  a  student  and  usher  at  an  agricultu- 
ral college  at  Maidstone,  in  1848,  then  conducted 
by  a  relative,  he  made  rapid  progress  in  the  usual 
branches  of  a  school  education.  He  removed  next, 
in  1849,  to  Newmarket,  where,  engaged  as  usher 
in  the  school  of  Mr.  Swindell,  he  pursued  the  study 
of  the  Greek  and  French  languages.  Here  he 
also  learned  the  practice  of  great  self-denial.     He 


HIS  EDUCATION. 


57 


seemed  bent  upon  acquiring  knowledge  and  serving 
God,,  and  for  the  attainment  of  these  he  constantly 
denied  himself.  While  at  Newmarket  young 
Spurgeon  wrote  an  essay  on  Popery,  for  a  prize. 
He  failed,  after  much  delay,  to  get  the  prize,  but 
was  given  a  handsome  sum  of  money  for  it  by  the 
gentleman  who  offered  the  prize. 

At  Cambridge,  to  which  he  removed,  after  one 
year,  in  1850,  he  was  so  anxious  to  obtain  an 
education,  that  he  again  served  as  usher,  this  time 
in  Mr.  Henry  Leeding's  school,  for  which  he 
received  a  small  compensation.  His  duties  here 
were  less  arduous,  and  his  comforts  greatly 
increased,  but  his  faith  in  God,  which  was  often 
tested,  he  steadily  maintained. 

Soon  after  he  began  to  preach  at  Waterbeach,  in 
1852,  his  father  and  other  friends  urged  him  to  go 
to  Stepney,  now  Regent's  Park  College,  to  prepare 
more  fully  for  the  work  of  the  Christian  ministry, 
and  he  himself  then  felt  inclined  to  do  so,  and 
actually  took  steps  towards  it,  when  a  very  small 
event  changed  the  whole  course  of  his  intentions. 
His  fathei  had  offered  to  send  him  at  any  sacrifice 
to  college. 

He  says  :  "Knowing  that  learning  is  never  an 
incumbrance,  and  is  often  a  great  means  of  useful- 


58       LIFE  AND  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  H.  SPURGE  ON. 

ness,  I  felt  inclined  to  avail  myself  of  the  oppor- 
tunity of  attaining  it."  He  did  not  however  go, 
owing  to  the  following  remarkable  circumstance: 

Dr.  Augus,  then  tutor,  afterwards  president  of 
the  college,  and  before  that  pastor  of  the  church  in 
London  of  which  Mr.  Spurgeon  became  pastor, 
made  an  engagement  to  meet  the  unknown  young 
man  at  the  house  of  Mr.  Macmillan,  the  publisher, 
in  Cambridge.  Mr.  Spurgeon,  after  praying  with 
the  Master,  was  promptly  on  time  at  the  place  of 
appointment,  and  was  shown  into  a  room  where  he 
waited  for  two  hours.  Feeling  his  own  insignifi- 
cance and  the  greatness  of  the  London  tutor,  he 
did  not  venture  to  ring  the  bell  for  the  servant  to 
inquire  the  cause  of  the  unreasonable  delay. 
However,  the  bell  was  set  in  motion,  and  the 
young  man  of  eighteen  was  informed  by  the 
servant  that  the  doctor  could  stay  no  longer,  and 
had  gone  off  on  a  train  to  London.  The  stupid 
girl  had  invited  the  tutor  into  one  room  and  the 
young  man  into  another  and  never  informed  the 
family  that  the  young  man  was  there.  At  first  Mr. 
Spurgeon  was  greatly  disappointed,  but  came  to 
regard  it  as  a  strange  providence  that  prevented 
his  going  to  Regent's  Park.  He  finally  gave  up  all 
idea  of   going  to  college. 


HIS  EDUCATION.  59 

He  wrote  to  his  father  under  date  of  March  9, 
1852:  "I  have  all  along  had  an  aversion  to  col- 
lege, and  nothing  but  a  feeling  that  I  must  not 
consult  myself  but  Jesus,  could  have  made  me 
think  of  it.  It  appears  to  my  friends  here  that  it  is 
my  duty  to  remain  with  my  dear  people  at  Water- 
beach,  so  say  the  church  here  unanimously." 

Tn  a  letter  to  his  mother  in  the  same  year — in 
November — he  writes:  "I  am  more  and  more  glad 
that  I  never  went  to  college.  God  sends  such  sun- 
shine in  my  path,  such  smiles  of  grace,  that  I  cannot 
regret  if  I  have  forfeited  all  my  prospects  by  it." 

Two  years  before  this,  when  he  was  but  sixteen 
and  residing  at  Cambridge,  the  entrance  of  one  of 
his  early  companions  upon  a  collegiate  course  led 
his  own  mind  in  that  direction  for  a  time ;  and  it 
was  probably  at  this  time  that  his  parents  first  urged 
him  to  go  to  college.  In  a  letter  to  his  mother  in 
which  he  declines  to  go,  he  writes:  "If  the  Lord 
will  teach  me  to  know  his  statutes,  and  prepare  me 
to  preach  his  gospel  to  his  poor  people,  I  have  my 
desire." 

Though  Mr.  Spurgeon  has  not  had  a  college 
education,  yet  he  is  an  educated  man,  and  a  man  of 
great  knowlege.  Few  college-bred  men  have  pro- 
duced greater  works  than  have  emanated  from  his 


60        LIFE  AXD  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  II.  SPURGEON. 

pen.  His  Treasury  of  David  is  a  fresh,  original 
and  exhaustive  commentary  upon  the  Psalms, 
which  would  be  regarded  as  the  masterpiece  of 
any  mind. 

Dr.  E.  L.  Magoon,  who  introduced  Mr.  Spur- 
geon's  sermons  to  the  American  public,  in  his  pre- 
face to  his  "Spurgeon,  the  Modern  Whiteiield," 
says:  "To  the  Bible  he  ascribes  the  discipline  of 
his  mental  faculties,  as  well  as  his  knowledge  of 
divine  truth.  Once,  he  declares,  he  put  all  his 
knowledge  in  glorious  confusion,  but  now  he  has 
a  shelf  in  his  mind  for  everything,  and  what- 
ever he  reads  or  hears  he  knows  where  to  stow  it 
away.  '  Ever  since  I  have  known  Christ  I  have 
put  Christ  in  the  center  as  my  sun,  and  each  secu- 
lar science  revolves  around  it  as  a  planet,  while 
the  minor  sciences  are  satellites  to  their  planets.' 
He  can  learn  everything  now,  and,  from  his  own 
experience,  he  exhorts  thus  :  '  O,  young  man, 
build  thy  studio  on  Calvary!  There  raise  thine 
observatory,  and  scan,  by  faith,  the  lofty  things  of 
nature!  Take  thee  a  hermit's  cell  in  the  Garden 
of  Gethsemane,  and  lave  thy  brow  with  the  waters 
of  Siloa.'  In  one  of  his  sermons  he  remarks  that 
the  man  of  one  book  is  more  intelligent  than  the 
man  of  many." 


NEW   PARK-STREET   CHAPEL, 
The  first  building  in  which  Mr.  Spurgeon_preached  in  London. 


CALL  TO  LONDON— NEW  PARK  STREET.         61 


CALL  TO  LONDON— NEW  PARK 
STREET. 

WE  now  come  to  consider  the  circumstances 
connected  with  his  call  to  London.  A  gen- 
tleman from  Essex,  Mr.  Gould,  was  present  at 
the  anniversary  meeting  of  the  union  of  Sunday- 
schools  of  Cambridge,  who  heard  Mr.  Spurgeon 
make  an  address  upon  that  occasion,  and  was 
deeply  impressed  with  it.  Mr.  Gould  afterwards 
met  Thomas  Olney,  of  the  New  Park-street 
Church,  Southwark,  London,  and  heard  from  him 
how  that  once  flourishing  church  was  then  suf- 
fering from  a  scattered  membership  and  a  dimin- 
ished congregation.  He  remembered  the  youthful 
minister  he  had  heard  at  Cambridge,  and  recom- 
mended him  to  the  deacon  as  one  likely  to  suit 
the  place.  This  church  had  been  one  of  the 
most  influential  in  London,  and  had  enjoyed  the 
ministry  of  such  men  as  Dr.  Gill  and  Dr.  Rippon. 
At  first,  no  attention  was  paid  to  the  suggestion, 
but  Deacon  Olney  and  Deacon  Low  consulted 
with  their  brethren,  and  not  long  afterward  Mr. 
Spurgeon  received  an  invitation  to  preach  for  the 


62        LIFE  AND  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  If.  SPURGEON. 

London  Church.  So  great  was  his  humility  that 
he  thought  there  was  some  mistake  about  it,  and 
sent  the  letter  back,  saying  that  it  was  surely  not 
meant  for  him. 

Mr.  Spurgeon  thus  relates  his  experience  when 
he  made  his  first  appearance  in  London : 

"On  one  of  the  last  Sabbaths  in  the  month  of 
December,  1853,  C.  H.  Spurgeon,  being  then 
nineteen  years  of  age,  preached  in  New  Park- 
street  Chapel,  in  response  to  an  invitation,  which, 
very  much  to  his  surprise,  called  him  away  from 
a  loving  people  at  Waterbeach,  near  Cambridge, 
to  supply  a  London  pulpit.  The  congregation 
was  a  mere  handful.  The  chapel  seemed  very 
large  to  the  preacher,  and  very  gloomy,  but  he 
stayed  himself  on  the  Lord,  and  delivered  his 
message  from  James  I,  17.  There  was  an  im- 
provement even  on  the  first  evening,  and  the  place 
looked  more  cheerful;  the  text  was:  'They  are 
without  fault  before  the  throne  of  God.'' 

In  compliance  with  the  earnest  request,  he  en- 
gaged to  preach  during  January,  1854,  the  first, 
third  and  fifth  Sabbaths,  for  the  same  people. 
Before  this  engagement  was  out,  he  was  invited 
to  occupy  the  pulpit  for  six  months  on  trial. 
Before  the  six  months  had  expired,  he  was  unani- 


CALL   TO  LONDON— NEW  PARK  STREET.  63 

mously  invited  to  forthwith  become  pastor  of  the 
church.  "The  place  was  filling;  the  prayer- 
meetings  were  full  of  power,  and  conversions  were 
going  on,"  so  he  at  once  accepted  the  invitation 
to  become  pastor.  When  he  preached  the  first 
time,  some  were  disappointed;  others  resolved  to 
oppose,  and  did  oppose,  but  by  far  the  greater 
number  wanted  to  hear  him   again. 


64       LIFE  AND  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  II.  SPURGEON. 


FIRST    SUNDAY   IN   LONDON. 

A/IR.  SPURGEON,  on  the  twenty-fifth  anniver- 
*  *  *  sary  of  his  pastorate,  writes  of  these  events 
in  his  own  inimitable  way  thus: 

"Twenty-five  years  ago  we  walked  on  a  Sabbath 
morning,  according  to  our  wont,  from  Cambridge 
to  the  village  of  Waterbeach,  in  order  to  occupy 
the  pulpit  of  the  little  Baptist  Chapel.  It  was  a 
country  road,  and  there  were  four  or  five  honest 
miles  of  it,  which  we  usually  measured  each 
Sunday,  foot  by  foot,  unless  we  happened  to  be 
met  by  a  certain  little  pony  and  cart,  which  came 
half  way,  but  could  not  by  any  possibility  venture 
further,  because  of  the  enormous  expense  which 
would  have  been  incurred  by  driving  through  the 
toll-gate  at  Milton.  That  winter's  morning  we 
were  all  aglow  with  our  walk,  and  ready  for  our 
pulpit  exercises.  Sitting  down  in  the  table-pew, 
a  letter  was  passed  to  us  bearing  the  postmark  of 
London.  It  was  an  unusual  missive,  and  was 
opened  with  curiosity.  It  contained  an  invitation 
to  preach  at  New  Park-street  Chapel,  South wark, 
the   pulpit  of  which   had   formerly  been    occupied 


FIRST  SUNDA  V  IN  LONDON.  65 

by  Dr.  Rippon  —  the  very  Dr.  Rippon  whose 
hymn-book  was  then  before  us  upon  the  table ; 
the  great  Dr.  Rippon,  out  of  whose  selection  we 
were  about  to  choose  hymns  for  our  worship. 
The  late  Dr.  Rippon  seemed  to  hover  over  us  as 
an  immeasurably  great  man,  the  glory  of  whose 
name  covered  New  Park-street  Chapel  and  its 
pulpit  with  awe  unspeakable.  We  quietly  passed 
the  letter  across  the  table  to  the  deacon  who  gave 
out  the  hymns,  observing  that  there  was  some 
mistake,  and  that  the  letter  may  have  been  in- 
tended for  a  Mr.  Spurgeon  who  preached  some- 
where down  in  Norfolk.  He  shook  his  head,  and 
observed  that  he  was  afraid  there  was  no  mistake, 
as  he  always  knew  that  his  minister  would  be  run 
away  with  by  some  large  church  or  other,  but  that 
he  was  a  little  surprised  that  the  Londoners  should 
have  heard  of  him  quite  so  soon.  'Had  it  been 
Cottenham,  or  St.  Ives,  or  Huntingdon,'  said  he, 
'  I  should  not  have  wondered  at  all ;  but  going  to 
London  is  rather  a  great  step  from  this  little  place  ' 
He  shook  his  head  very  gravely ;  but  the  time  was 
come  for  us  to  look  out  the  hymns,  and  therefore 
the  letter  was  put  away,  and,  as  far  as  we  can 
remember,  was  for  the  day  quite  forgotten,  even 
as  a  dead  man  out  of  mind. 


66       LIFE  AND  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  H.  SPURGE  ON. 

"On  the  following  Monday,  an  answer  was  sent 
to  London,  informing  the  deacon  of  the  church 
at  Park  street,  that  he  had  fallen  into  an  error  in 
directing  his  letter  to  Waterbeach,  for  the  Baptist 
minister  of  that  village  was  very  little  more  than 
nineteen  years  of  age,  and  quite  unqualified  to 
occupy  a  London  pulpit.  In  due  time  came  an- 
other epistle,  setting  forth  that  the  former  letter 
had  been  written  in  perfect  knowledge  of  the 
young  preacher's  age,  and  had  been  intended  for 
him,  and  him  alone.  The  request  of  the  former 
letter  was  repeated  and  pressed,  a  date  mentioned 
for  the  journey  to  London,  and  the  place  appointed 
at  which  the  preacher  would  find  lodging.  That 
invitation  was  accepted,  and  as  the  result  thereof 
the  boy  preacher  of  the  Fens  took  his  post  in 
London. 

"Twenty-five  years  ago — and  yet  it  seems  but 
yesterday — we  lodged  for  the  night  at  a  boarding- 
house  in  Queen  Square,  Bloomsbury,  to  which  the 
worthy  deacon  directed  us.  As  we  wore  a  huge 
black  satin  stock,  and  used  a  blue  handkerchief, 
with  white  spots,  the  young  gentlemen  of  that 
boarding-house  marvelled  greatly  at  the  youth  from 
the  country  who  had  come  up  to  preach  in  London, 
but  who  was  evidently  in  the   condition  known   as 


FIRST  SUUDA  V  IN  LONDON.  67 

verdant  green.  They  were  mainly  of  the  evan- 
gelical church  persuasion,  and  seemed  greatly 
tickled  that  the  country  lad  should  be  a  preacher. 
They  did  not  propose  to  go  and  hear  the  youth,  but 
they  seemed  to  tacitly  agree  to  encourage  him  after 
their  own  fashion,  and  we  were  encouraged 
accordingly.  What  tales  were  narrated  of  the 
great  divines  of  the  metropolis  and  their  congrega- 
tions! One,  we  remember,  had  a  thousand  city 
men  to  hear  him,  another  had  his  church  filled 
with  thoughtful  people,  such  as  could  hardly  be 
matched  all  over  England,  while  a  third  had  an 
immense  audience,  almost  entirely  composed  of  the 
young  men  of  London,  who  were  spell-bound  by 
his  eloquence.  The  study  which  these  men  under- 
went in  composing  their  sermons,  their  herculean 
toils  in  keeping  up  their  congregations,  and  the 
matchless  oratory  which  they  exhibited  on  all 
occasions  were  duly  rehearsed  in  our  hearing;  and 
when  we  were  shown  to  bed  in  a  cupboard  over 
the  front  door  we  were  not  in  an  advantageous  con- 
dition for  pleasant  dreams.  Park-street  hospitality 
never  sent  the  young  minister  to  that  far  away1 
hired  room  again ;  but  assuredly  the  Saturday 
evening  in  a  London  boarding-house  was  about 
the  most  depressing  agency  which  could  have  been 


68        LIFE  AND  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  //.  SPURGEON. 

brought  to  bear  upon  our  spirits.  On  the  narrow 
beds  we  tossed  in  solitary  misery  and  found  no 
pity.  Pitiless  was  the  grind  of  the  cabs  in  the 
street;  pitiless  the  recollection  of  the  young  city 
clerks  whose  grim  propriety  had  gazed  upon  our 
rusticity  with  such  amusement;  pitiless  the  spare 
room,  which  scarce  afforded  space  to  kneel;  piti- 
less even  the  gas-lamps  which  seemed  to  wink  at 
us  as  they  flickered  amid  the  December  darkness. 
We  had  no  friend  in  all  that  city  full  of  human 
beings,  but  we  felt  among  strangers  and  foreigners, 
hoped  to  be  helped  through  the  scrape  into  which 
we  had  been  brought,  and  to  escape  safely  to  the 
severe  abodes  of  Cambridge  and  Waterbeach, 
which  then  seemed  to  be  Eden  itself. 

"Twenty-five  years  ago  it  was  a  clear,  cold 
morning,  and  we  wended  our  way  along  Holborn 
Hill,  towards  Blackfriars  and  certain  tortuous  lanes 
and  alleys  at  the  foot  of  Southwark  Bridge.  Won- 
dering, praying,  fearing,  hoping,  believing, — we 
felt  all  alone  and  yet  not  alone.  Expectant  of  divine 
help,  and  inwardly  borne  down  by  our  sense  of  the 
need  of  it,  we  traversed  a  dreary  wilderness  of 
brick  to  find  the  spot  where  our  message  must 
needs  be  delivered.  One  word  rose  to  our  lips 
many    times,    we    scarce    know    why, — 'He    must 


FIR  ST  S  UN  DA  Y  IN  LONDON.  69 

needs  go  through  Samaria.'  The  necessity  of  our 
Lord's  journeying  in  a  certain  direction  is  no 
doubt  repeated  by  his  servants,  and  as  our  present 
journey  was  not  of  our  seeking,  and  had  been  by- 
no  means  pleasing  so  far  as  it  had  gone, — the  one 
thought  of  the  'needs  he'  for  it  seemed  to  overtop 
every  other. 

"At  sight  of  Park-street  Chapel  we  felt,  for  a 
moment,  amazed  at  our  own  temerity,  for  it  seemed 
to  our  eyes  to  be  a  large,  ornate,  and  imposing 
structure,  suggesting  an  audience  wealth)'  and 
critical,  and  far  removed  from  the  humble  folk  to 
whom  our  ministry  had  been  sweetness  and  light. 
It  was  early,  so  there  were  no  persons  entering; 
and  when  the  set  time  was  fully  come  there  were 
no  signs  to  support  the  suggestion  raised  by  the 
exterior  of  the  building,  and  we  felt  that,  by  God's 
help,  we  were  not  yet  out  of  our  depths,  and  were 
not  likely  to  be  with  so  small  an  audience.  The 
Lord  helped  us  very  graciously;  we  had  a  happy 
Sabbath  in  the  pulpit,  and  spent  the  intervals  with 
warm-hearted  friends;  and  when,  at  night,  we 
trudged  back  to  the  Queen-square  narrow  lodging, 
we  were  not  alone,  and  we  no  longer  looked  on 
Londoners  as  flinty-hearted  barbarians.  Our  tone 
was  altered;  we  wanted  no  pity  of  any  one;  we  did 


70         LIFE  AND  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  II.  SPURGE  OX. 

not  care  a  penny  for  the  young  gentlemen  lodgers 
and  their  miraculous  ministers,  nor  for  the  grind  of 
the  cabs,  nor  anything  else  under  the  sun.  The 
lion  had  been  looked  at  all  round,  and  his  majesty 
did  not  appear  to  a  tenth  as  majestic  as  when  we 
had  only  heard  his  roar  miles  away." 

And  now  began  one  of  the  most  remarkable 
careers  recorded  in  the  annals  of  human  history. 
His  knowledge  of  and  faith  in  the  scriptures;  his 
love  for  Christ  and  souls;  his  strong  common  sense; 
his  evangelical  views;  his  great  humility;  his 
fervent  piety;  his  firmness,  which  he  has  never 
allowed  his  strong  sympathies  to  run  away  with, 
and  his  art  of  putting  things,  account  in  a  large 
measure  for  Mr.  Spurgeon's  great  and  prolonged 
success. 

Among  tnose  whose  acquaintance  Mr.  Spurgeon 
made,  upon  his  first  visit  to  London,  were  Deacon 
Low,  who  had  conducted  the  correspondence  with 
him  for  the  church;  Joseph  Passmore,  who  became 
his  publisher  and  intimate  friend;  and  Thomas 
Olney,  senior  deacon,  who,  after  worshipping  in 
Carter  Lane  and  soothing  the  dying  hours  of  the 
venerable  Dr.  Rippon,  welcomed  young  Spurgeon 
to  London  and  sustained  him  in  all  his  labors. 
Deacon  Olney  died  in  1853,  but  his  children  follow 
in  the  footsteps  of  their  father. 


THE  ASIATIC  CHOLERA  IN  LONDON.  71 


THE  ASIATIC  CHOLERA  IN  LONDON. 

TN  the  autumn  of  1854,  not  twelve  months  after 
*  Mr.  Spurgeon  became  the  pastor  of  New  Park- 
street  Church,  that  dreadful  scourge  of  humanity, 
the  Asiatic  cholera,  visited  London.  It  was  raging 
all  over  Europe  and  thousands  were  falling  victims 
to  its  ravages.  The  faith  and  courage  of  the  young 
preacher  were  tested  in  a  remarkable  manner.  He 
was  already  popular,  especially  among  the  poor. 
And  now  he  was  sent  for  to  visit  the  sick  and  the 
dying,  without  intermission,  day  and  night.  He 
obeyed  every  summons  during  its  continuance, 
visiting,  reading,  praying  and  conversing  with  the 
suffering  and  afflicted.  These  scenes  were  appal- 
ling and  exhausting  to  the  mind,  heart  and  body  of 
the  servant  of  God.  Once,  when  he  had  returned 
home,  after  witnessing  several  terrible  deaths,  he 
was  again  called  upon  to  revisit  the  same  sad 
scenes  when  he  was  almost  tempted  to  yield  to  the 
longing  for  rest.  He  had  toiled  until  his  physical 
energies  were  well  nigh  exhausted,  and,  giving 
way  to  depression  of  mind,  he  almost  thought  him- 
self a  victim  of  the  dread  disease.     It  was  then, 


72        LIFE  AND  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  H.  SPURGEON. 

while  mournfully  contemplating  the  .situation,  that 
his  attention  was  attracted  to  a  scrap  of  paper — 
some  notice  probably — wafered  on  a  shop  window. 
He  approached  it,  and  read  the  words  written  on 
it.  They  were:  "Thou  shalt  not  be  afraid  for  the 
terror  by  night;  nor  for  the  arrow  thatlliethby  day; 
nor  for  the  pestilence  that  walketh  in  darkness;  nor 
for  the  destruction  that  wasteth  by  noonday." — 
Psalm  xci,  5,  6.  These  words  he  accepted  as  a 
message  from  God,  and  he  was  inspired  to  cheer- 
fully continue  his  work  of  love. 


IN  EXETER  HALL.  73 


IN   EXETER   HALL. 

IN  a  very  short  time  after  Mr.  Spurgeon  entered 
*  upon  his' pastorate  in  London,  the  empty  chapel 
became  crowded  and  his  fame  spread  all  over  the 
city;  the  house  was  far  too  small  to  hold  the 
people.  One  evening,  in  1854,  ^le  young 
preacher  said,  "By  faith  the  walls  of  Jericho  fell 
down,  and  by  faith  this  wall  at  the  back  shall 
come  down  too."  An  aged  and  prudent  deacon 
observed  to  him  at  the  close  of  the  sermon,  "Let 
us  never  hear  of  that  again."  "What  do  you 
mean?"  said  the  preacher,  "you  will  hear  no  more 
about  it  when  it  is  done,  and,  therefore,  the  sooner 
you  set  about  doing  it,  the  better."  And  it  wa? 
done. 

While  the  house  was  being  enlarged,  the  con- 
gregation resolved  to  worship  in  Exeter  Hall,  in 
the  Strand,  one  of  the  largest  halls  in  London. 
The  question  arose,  "Will  Mr.  Spurgeon  fill 
Exeter  Hall?"  It  was  soon  settled,  for  the  great 
hall  was  filled  at  once,  and  during  the  whole  time 
it  was  occupied,  from  February  11,  1855,  to  May 
27  of   the  same   year.     "Who  is  this  Spurgeon?" 


74        LIFE  AND  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  II.  SPURGEON. 

was  the  question  heard  from  all  sides,  and  it  was 
during  this  time  that  the  London  newspapers  began 
to  denounce,  and  some  of  them  to  print  ludicrous 
cuts  representing  him. 

The  Strand,  the  papers  complained,  is  blocked 
up  by  crowds  who  gather  to  hear  a  young  man  in 
Exeter  Hall.  One  of  the  caricatures  was  "Brim- 
stone and  Treacle,"  in  which  the  earnest  young 
preacher  is  contrasted  with  a  sleepy-looking  clergy- 
man. Another  point  that  adorned  the  print-seller's 
window  was  "Catch-'Em-Alive-O!"  Here  we 
have  the  successful  winner  of  souls  represented  by 
the  man  who  walks  the  streets  of  London  selling 
fly-paper,  with  his  hat  covered  with  the  paper,  and 
paper  covered  with  flies,  crying,  "Catch-'Em- 
Alive-O!" 

But  all  these  devices  of  the  devil  only  advertised 
Mr.  Spurgeon,  and  greater  crowds  than  ever 
flocked  to  hear  him.  He  was  neither  a  sky-rocket 
nor  a  fire-brand,  and  had  come  to  stay. 

From  Exeter  Hall  Mr.  Spurgeon  returned* to 
New  Park-street  Chapel,  in  June,  1855.  The 
chapel  had  been  enlarged  by  an  addition  of 
several  yards  to  its  northern  end,  so  as  to  afford 
sitting  for  three  hundred  more  people,  but  still  the 
place  was  too  small.     All  the  sittings  were  taken, 


IN  EXETER  HALL.  75 

many  had  to  be  refused  accommodations  and  many 
more  went  away  from  the  crowded  house  unable  to 
gain  even  an  entrance.  Those,  who,  unable  to 
gain  admission,  were  obliged  to  leave  the  place 
disappointed  amounted  to  hundreds  and  even  to 
thousands  every  Sabbath.  There  seemed  to  be  no 
remedy  at  hand,  so  this  state  of  things  continued 
for  some  time. 

Besides  preaching  twice  on  Sunday  and  twice 
during  the  week  to  his  own  people  in  Park  street, 
he  had  numerous  calls  from  all  directions  to  preach 
on  special  occasions  in  and  out  of  London,  which 
kept  him  occupied,  sometimes  preaching  every 
day  in  the  week,  and  always  with  the  same  success, 
and  to  the  like  large  crowds  of  people  wherever  he 
went.     He  was  soon  known  all  over  England. 


76        LIFE  AXD  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  If.  SPURGEOX, 


VISITS    SCOTLAND. 

IN  July  of  1855  he  journeyed  to  the  north  of 
England  and  into  Scotland  preaching  to  multi- 
tudes of  people.  In  Glasgow,  the  sight  of  the 
monument  erected  to  Knox,  revived  in  him  intense 
indignation  against  popery. 

Mr.  Spurgeon  preached  in  Glasgow  to,  perhaps, 
the  largest  audiences  ever  gathered  there  to  hear 
the  gospel.  But  he  was  received  at  first  with  great 
suspicion  in  Scotland,  to  illustrate  which  many 
stories  are  told.  "At  the  close  of  each  of  these 
services,"  observed  Mr.  Spurgeon,  "I  learned  the 
meaning  of  the  text,  'So  then,  we  are  no  longer 
strangers  and  foreigners';  for  I  found  that  the 
children  of  God  recognized  the  herald  of  truth, 
and  cheerfully  gave  me  their  hearts  and  their 
hands." 

He  writes  of  the  rocks  of  Aberfeldy,  "If  any 
thin";  in  our  island  could  raise  the  feelings  of  a 
man  toward  heaven  surely  the  sight  of  the  scenery 
of  Scotland  might  suffice  to  do  it" 

It  was  when  in  this  romantic  village,  in  the  north 
of  Scotland,  that  the   bellman  was  sent  round  to 


VISITS  SCOTLAND.  77 

announce  a  sermon,  by  a  minister  from  the  south, 
in  these  words:  "  Your  auld  playmate,  and  auld 
acquaintance,  Shony  Carstair,  wants  to  see  you  all 
at  the  Independent  Chapel,  at  7  o'clock,  to  hear 
my  dear  friend,  the  Rev.  C.  H.  Spurgeon,  preach." 
There  was  given  an  account  of  the  crowds  who 
flocked  to  hear  the  preacher  in  Exeter  Hall,  which 
was  concluded  by:  "Mind,  he  has  come  500  miles 
to  tell  you  something  for  your  good,  and  the  Rev. 
C.  H.  Spurgeon  and  myself  expect  you  all  to  come 
and  give  us  a  hearty  shake  hands." 

This  strange  and  unusual  mode,  of  announcing  a 
sermon  was  not  without  success.  "The  whole 
village  was  moved,  and  though  the  preacher, 
during  the  service,  tried  all  means  to  move  them, 
the  cold  blood  of  the  men  of  the  far  north  was  un- 
disturbed by  Mr.  Spurgeon's  appeals,  and  the  only 
movement  seen  in  the  congregation  was  a  free  use 
of  the  snuff-box,  the  person  'using  a  small  spoon 
to  shovel  the  snuff  from  the  box  to  the  nose!' 
The  sermon  over,  before  the  benediction  was  pro- 
nounced, a  rush  was  made  simultaneously,  and  ere 
the  preacher  could  descend  from  the  pulpit,  the 
chapel  was  deserted!  Such  is  a  glance  at  Mr. 
Spurgeon's  day  spent  at  Aberfeldy,  and  of  a  High- 
land congregation." 


78        LIFE  AND  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  II.  SPURGEOiV. 

On  his  return  to  Glasgow,  from  the  north,  Mr. 
Spurgeon  preached  in  the  largest  hall  in  the  city. 
Admission  was  by  ticket,  and  days  before  the  ser- 
vice tickets  were  selling  at  a  premium.  On  Sunday 
morning,  hours  before  service,  all  the  roads  leading 
to  the  town  were  filled  with  people,  multitudes  of 
all  classes — rich  and  poor,  old  and  young,  mer- 
chant and  weaver — all  gathered  to  hear  the  gospel. 
The  streets  were  crowded  outside  the  hall,  while 
inside  were  5,000  persons  to  each  service,  morning 
and  evening. 

Mr.  Spurgeon  afterwards  journeyed  in  the  East, 
west  of  England,  preaching  to  multitudes  of  people. 
In  his  tour  eastward,  he  began  at  the  scene  of  his 
early  labors,  Waterbeach,  and  passed  through 
Cambridgeshire  and  Suffolk,  preaching  twice  or 
three  times  a  day  to  the  people. 

Mr.  Spurgeon,  on  his  return,  applied  himself  to 
the  needs  of  the  people  in  the  immediate  neighbor- 
hood of  the  New  Park-street  Chapel.  The  district 
was  crowded  with  the  poor,  and  to  the  amelioration 
of  their  condition  he  earnestly  and  anxiously  set  to 
work.  There  were  more  than  3,000  children, 
under  14  years  of  age,  in  the  district,  and  for  these 
there  were  accommodations  for  800  in  Sabbath- 
schools,    and  360  in   day-schools.     A   number  of 


VISITS  SCOTLAND.  79 

gentlemen  of  the  church  at  once  set  to  work,  with 
their  pastor,  to  remedy  this  sad  state  of  affairs,  and 
a  mission  hall,  reading  and  school  rooms  were  soon 
provided,  and  an  encouraging  beginning  made. 


8o       LIFE  AND  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  II.  SPURGEON. 


HIS    MARRIAGE. 

TT  is  said  that  the  marriage  of  this  popular  young 
*  preacher  had  been  often  the  subject  of  remark, 
and  that  his  name  in  this  relation  had  been  con- 
nected with  several  ladies,  each  of  which  had  been 
selected,  by  their  friends,  as  a  suitable  person  as 
the  partner  for  life  of  the  young  pastor.  Mr. 
Spurgeon  was  a  prudent  man,  and  had  given  no 
occasion  for  public  opinion  or  public  talk.  How- 
ever he  had  made  his  own  choice  from  among  the 
ladies  of  his  acquaintance  and  was  about  to  be 
married.  On  Tuesday,  January  8,  1856,  Mr. 
Spurgeon  and  Miss  Susannah,  daughter  of  Mr. 
Robert  Thompson,  of  Falcon  Square,  London, 
were  married.  Regarding  the  event  as  a  religious 
service  as  well  as  a  civil  compact,  they  were  mar- 
ried in  the  New  Park-street  Chapel,  which  was 
filled  to  excess,  and  some  two  thousand  persons 
were  outside  unable  to  gain  access.  The  opening 
service  consisted  of  the  announcing  of  the  hymn, 
"Salvation!  O,  the  Joyful  Sound!"  and  reading  of 
the  scriptures,  the  100th  Psalm  by  Dr.  Fletcher,  of 
Finsbury   Chapel,  who  also  offered  up  a  solemn 


HIS  MARRIAGE.  81 

and  affecting  prayer.  Dr.  Fletcher  then  made  an 
appropriate  address,  went  through  the  form  of  mar- 
riage used  by  Protestants,  pronounced  them  hus- 
band and  wife.  He  then  read  part  of  the  Ephe- 
sians  V;  the  wedding  hymn  was  sung  commencing, 
"Since  Jesus  freely  did  appear;"  and  Dr.  Fletcher 
implored  the  Divine  blessing  upon  the  pair  in  con- 
clusion of  the  ceremony. 

The  parents  of  both  bride  and  bridegroom  were 
present.  The  newly  married  couple  departed  for 
a  brief  sojourn  on  the  continent. 


LIFE  AND  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  II.  SPURGE  ON. 


RETURN  TO   NEW  PARK-STREET. 

TT  was  in  June,  1855,  as  already  noted,  that  the 
*-  New  Park-street  Chapel  enlarged  was  re-opened. 
At  the  end  of  Sept.,  1856,  a  great  meeting  was  held 
in  New  Park-street  Chapel  to  adopt  measures  for  the 
erection  of  a  large  tabernacle.  Mr.  Spurgeon,  after 
describing  the  utter  inadequacy  of  the  house  to 
ccommodate  the  thousands  who  assembled  to  heara 
the  gospel,  said  that  he  would  ' 'become  an  itinerant 
evangelist  if  a  place  were  not  erected  of  a  size  more 
commensurate  with  the  extraordinary  congregations 
who  flocked  to  hear  him."  Five  hundred  members 
had  been  added  to  the  church,  he  remarked,  which 
numbered  900.  It  was  finally  determined  that  no 
effort  be  made  towards  the  selection  of  a  site  or  the 
erection  of  a  house  for  twelve  months;  meanwhile 
the  friends  of  the  enterprise  could  see  how  much 
money  could  be  obtained  towards  it.  It  was  thought 
that  a  tabernacle  to  seat  5,000  should  be  built,  and 
which,  it  was  estimated,  would  cost  $60,000. 

"To  return  to  New  Park-street,  enlarged  though 
it  was,"  remarks  Mr.  Spurgeon,  "  resembled  the 
attempt  to  put  to  sea  in  a  teapot."    The  packing  of 


RETURN  TO  NEW  PARK  STREET.  83 

the  people  in  the  house  was  dense  in  the  extreme, 
and  many  hundreds  were  turned  away,  unable  to 
gain  admission.  In  June,  1856,  the  church  returned 
to  Exeter  Hall,  Mr.  Spurgeon  preaching  there  in 
the  evening,  and  at  the  chapel  in  the  morning,  but 
this  would  not  do;  "therefore,  a  fund  was  com- 
menced to  provide  for  the  erection  of  a  large  house 
of  prayer." 


84        LIFE  AND  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  II.  SPURGE  ON. 


SURREY  GARDENS. 

r)UT,  meanwhile,  the  proprietors  of  Exeter  Hall 
^— '  declined  to  rent  it  longer  continuously  to  one 
congregation,  and  Mr.  Spurgeon  was  forced  to  look 
about  for  another  home  for  his  immense  congre- 
gation. Just  then  Music  Hall  was  opened  in  the 
Surrey  Gardens  for  the  monster  concerts  of  M. 
Jullien,  and,  though  it  seemed  a  daring  enterprise, 
this  hall  was  secured  for  Sabbath  evenings. 

THE  PANIC. 

It  was  while  worshiping  in  this  mammoth  hall 
that  a  deplorable  accident  occurred.  One  Sab- 
bath evening  in  October,  (19,  1856,)  an  audience 
was  collected  there  of  7,000  persons  to  hear  the 
youthful  preacher,  when  some  evil-disposed  people 
caused  a  disturbance,  which  resulted  in  a  panic, 
which  suddenly  seized  the  whole  congregation. 
There  was  a  fearful  rush  for  the  doors,  and  sev- 
eral persons  were  thrown  down  and  trampled  by 
the  crowd.  Seven  persons  lost  their  lives,  and 
twenty-eight  were  so  injured  as  to  be  removed  to 
hospitals.      Mr.   Spurgeon,   not  being    aware  that 


Surrey  Music  Hall. 


SURREY  GARDENS.  85 

any  loss  of  life  had  occurred,  tried  to  allay  the 
fear  of  the  people,  and  to  renew  the  service,  but 
the  people  were  too  excited,  so  the  congregation 
was  dismissed.  The  pastor,  whose  physical 
strength  was  remarkable,  was  completely  pros- 
trated for  days  by  the  strain  to  his  nervous  system. 
There  were  grave  doubts  whether  he  would  ever 
be  able  to  preach  again.  The  press  unjustly  cen- 
sured, but  the  benevolent  raised  a  fund  to  help  the 
poor  sufferers. 

For  fear  of  further  panic,  the  night  meeting  was 
given  up,  and  the  service  in  Music  Hall  held  in 
the  morning.  It  was  thought  that  this  would 
diminish  the  crowd,  but  still  the  multitude  came, 
and  for  three  years  he  preached  weekly  to  10,000 
people.  He  soon  became  the  great  London 
preacher,  though  yet  not  much  more  than  a  boy, 
and  gave  great  promise  of  the  future  man. 


86        LIFE  AND  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  H.  SPURGE  ON. 


THE  RICH  AND  THE  POOR. 

IT  has  been  truly  said  of  Mr.  Spurgeon,  as  it 
was  of  the  Master  himself,  that  "The  common 
people  heard  him  gladly,"  but  the  London 
preacher,  as  well  as  his  Lord,  preached  the  gospel 
with  acceptance  to  some  of  all  classes  of  people. 
The  desire  to  hear  Mr.  Spurgeon  preach  was  not 
confined  to  any  class,  but  persons  of  all  ranks  and 
stations  have  sought  to  hear  him,  or  to  read  his 
sermons  all  over  the  world. 

As  early  as  1857,  while  he  was  preaching  at 
Surrey  Music  Hall,  the  excitement  caused  by  his 
preaching  was  not  confined  to  the  lower  classes, 
or  the  middle  classes,  but  extended  to  all  grades 
of  society.  Not  only  the  nobility,  but  even  mem- 
bers of  the  royal  family  are  said  to  have  come  to 
hear  him  preach. 

One  of  the  first  men  of  note  to  go  to  hear  Mr. 
Spurgeon  soon  after  the  disaster  in  Surrey  Gar- 
dens, was  Lord  Campbell,  Lord  Chief  Justice  of 
England.  Sir  Richard  Mayne,  Chief  Commiss- 
ioner of  Police,  was  also  present,  to  whom  the 
Chief  Justice  remarked  after  the  sermon,  "He  is 
doing  great  good,  sir,  great  good." 


THE  RICH  AND   THE  POOR.  87 

Among  the  nobility  and  other  distinguished  per- 
sons present,  at  other  times,  at  Music  Hall,  have 
been  noticed  the  Lord  Mayor  and  Sheriffs,  Lord 
John  and  Lady  Russell,  Lord  Alfred  Paget,  Lord 
Panmure,  the  Earl  of  Shaftesbury,  Earl  Grey,  the 
Bishop  of  London,  Sir  James  Graham,  the  Duchess 
of  Sutherland,  the  Earl  of  Carlisle,  the  Earl  of 
Elgin,  Baron  Bramwell,  Miss  Florence  Nightingale, 
Dr.  Livingston,  Lady  and  Lionel  Rothschild.  And 
this  interest  in  his  preaching  remains  unabated  to 
this  day. 


LIFE  AND  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  H.  SPURGEON. 


"I  WANT  TO  HEAR  SPURGEON." 

TERE  is  a  part  of  a  famous  letter,  written  by  an 
"  *■  eminent  scholar,  dated  Westminster,  and 
which  appeared  in  the  London  Times  at  this  period, 
and  which  was  signed,  Habitans  in  Sicco. 

"'I  want  to  hear  Spurgeon;  let  us  go.'  Now, 
I  am  supposed  to  be  a  high  church  man,  so  I 
answered,  'What!  go  and  hear  Calvinist — a 
Baptist!'  "  *  'Never  mind;  come  and  hear 
him.'  Well,  we  went  yesterday  morning  to  Music 
Hall.  *  *  Fancy  a  congregation  consisting  of 
10,000  soids,  streaming  into  the  hall,  mounting  the 
galleries,  humming,  buzzing,  and  swarming — a 
mightv  hive  of  bees — eager  to  secure  at  first  the 
best  places,  and,  at  last,  any  place  at  all.  After 
waiting  more  than  half  an  hour — for  if  you  wish 
to  have  a  seat  you  must  be  there  at  least  that  space 
of  time  in  advance — Mr.  Spurgeon  ascended  his 
tribune.  To  the  hum,  and  rush,  and  trampling  of 
men,  succeeded  a  low,  concentrated  thrill  and  mur- 
mur of  devotion,  which  seemed  to  run  at  once, 
like  an  electric  current  through  the  breast  of  every 
one    present;     and    by    its    magnetic     chain    the 


/  WANT  TO  HEAR  SPURGEON.  89 

preacher  held  us  fast  bound  for  about  two  hours.  It 
is  not  my  purpose  to  give  a  summary  of  his  dis- 
course. It  is  enough  to  say  of  his  voice,  that  its  power 
and  volume  are  sufficient  to  reach  every  one  in  that 
vast  assembly;  of  his  language,  that  it  is  neither 
high-flown  nor  homely;  of  his  style  that  it  is  at 
times  familiar,  at  times  declamatory,  but  always 
happy,  and  often  eloquent;  of  his  doctrine  that 
neither  the  Calvinist  nor  the  Baptist  appear  in  the 
forefront  of  the  battle  which  is  waged  by  Mr. 
Spurgeon  with  relentless  animosity,  and  with  gospel 
weapons,  against  irreligion,  cant,  hypocrisy,  pride, 
and  those  secret  bosom  sins  which  so  easily  beset  a 
man  in  daily  life ;  and  to  sum  up  all  in  a  word,  it  is 
enough  to  say  of  the  man  himself,  that  he  impresses 
you  with  perfect  conviction  of  his  sincerity." 

"But    I    have    not   written    so    much    about    my 
children's  want  of  spiritual  food  when  they  listened 

to   the  mumbling    of    the    Arckbishop  of  , 

and  my  own  banquet  at*  the  Surrey  Gardens,  with- 
out a  desire  to  draw  a  practical  conclusion  from 
these  two  stories,  and  to  point  them  a  moral.  *  * 
If  I  were  the  examining  chaplain  of  the  Archbishop 

of ,  I  would  say,  May  it  please  your  grace, 

here  is  a  man  able  to  preach  eloquently,  able  to 
fill  the  largest  church   in   England  with  his  voice, 


go        LIFE  AND  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  H.  SPURGEON. 

and  what  is  more  to  the  purpose,  with  people. 
And  may  it  please  your  grace, here  are  two  churches 
in  the  metropolis,  St.  Paul's  and  Westminster 
Abbey.  What  does  your  grace  think  of  inviting 
Mr.  Spurgeon,  this  heretical  Calvanist  and  Baptist, 
who  is  able  to  draw  10,000  souls  after  him,  just  to 
try  his  voice,  some  Sunday  morning,  in  the  nave  of 
either  'of  those  churches?'" 


FRIENDLY  CRITICISM.  91 


FRIENDLY  CRITICISM. 

^'QOON  as  he  commenced  to  speak,"  says  an 
^  English  critic,  ' 'tones  of  richest  melody  are 
heard.  A  voice  full,'  sweet  and  musical,  falls  on 
every  ear,  and  awakens  agreeable  emotions  in 
every  soul  in  which  there  is  a  sympathy  for  sounds. 
That  most  excellent  of  voices  is  under  perfect  con- 
trol, and  can  whisper  or  thunder  at  the  wish  of  its 
possessor.  *  *  The  countenance  speaks,  the 
entire  form  sympathizes.  *  *  To  the  influence 
of  this  powerful  voice,  he  adds  that  of  a  manner 
characterized  by  great  freedom  and  fearlessness, 
intensely  earnest,  and  strikingly  natural.  When 
to  these  we  add  the  influence  of  thrilling  descrip- 
tion, touching  anecdote,  sparkling  wit,  startling- 
episodes,  striking  similes,  all  used  to  illustrate  and 
enforce  the  deep,  earnest  home-truths  of  the  Bible, 
we  surely  have  a  combination  of  elements  which 
must  make  up  a  preacher  of  wonderful  attraction 
and  of  marvellous  power." 

Here  is  another  friendly  criticism,  and  there 
were  many.  One  who  heard  him  preach,  October 
7,  1857,  m  Sydenham  Crystal  Palace,  in  which  the 


92        LIFE  AND  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  II.  SPURGEOAT. 

world's  fair  had  been  held,  to  23,000  persons  in  a 
day  of  national  fast  for  the  Indian  mutiny,  describes 
him  as,  "Of  medium  height,  quite  stout,  round  and 
beardless  face,  high  forehead,  dark  hair  parted  in 
the  middle,  boyish  in  countenance,  awkward  in 
figure,  in  manners  plain,  face  heavy  except  when 
illuminated  by  a  smile;  voice  rich,  powerful, 
melodious,  under  perfect  control,  and  the  only 
personal  instrument  he  possesses,  by  which  he  is 
enabled  to  acquire  such  a  marvellous  power  over 
the  minds  and  hearts  of  his  hearers."  "Twelve 
thousand  have  distinctly  heard  every  sentence  he 
uttered  in  the  open  air,  and  this  powerful  instrument 
carried  his  burning  words  to  an  audience  of  20,000 
gathered  in  the  Crystal  Palace." 

In  connection  with  his  preaching  in  the  Crystal 
Palace,  a  story  is  told  by  his  brother  and  assistant, 
the  Rev.  James  Spurgeon.  The  latter  was  called 
to  see  a  dying  man,  who  related  that  he  had  been 
converted  in  a  very  singular  way.  He  was  on  a 
scaffold  at  work,  far  up  from  the  ground,  putting 
window  glass  in  the  roof  or  dome  of  that  immense 
structure,  when  he  heard  a  loud  voice  saying  to 
him:  "This  is  a  faithful  saying,  and  worthy  of 
all  acceptation,  that  Jesus  Christ  came  into  the 
world   to   save   sinners."      These    words   were  re- 


FRIENDL  Y  CRITICISM.  93 

peated  in  a  soft,  low  but  distinct  voice.  He  was 
startled,  for  he  saw  no  man,  and  was  alone  in  the 
building;  and  these  words  went  to  his  heart,  for 
he  accepted  Christ  and  died  trusting  Him.  It 
seems  that  Mr.  Charles  H.  Spurgeon  had  gone 
alone  into  the  Crystal  Palace  before  the  day  came 
for  preaching  to  see  if  his  voice  was  strong  enough 
to  be  heard  in  such  a  large  edifice.  It  was  the 
most  natural  thing  for  him  to  try  his  powers  and 
test  his  ability  to  be  heard  by  the  use  of  a  text  of 
scripture.  He,  too,  thought  himself  alone,  but  the 
word  of  the  Lord  was  blessed  to  the  salvation  of 
a  soul. 

Mr.  Stevenson,  his  biographer,  tells  the  follow- 
ing anecdote  of  Mr.  Spurgeon's  preaching: 

"The  readiness  with  which  Mr.  Spurgeon  can 
adapt  himself  to  his  audience,  whether  that  audi- 
ence consists  of  the  educated  or  affluent,  the  poor 
or  the  ignorant,  was  never  more  distinctly  seen 
than  on  Tuesday,  March  12th,  when,  in  the  Evan- 
gelists' Tabernacle,  Golden  Lane,  city,  he  preached 
to  a  conorresration  of  costermongers.  Mr.  Orsman, 
the  missionary  there,  had  distributed  tickets  among 
the  street  dealers  in  Whitecross  street,  so  as  to 
secure  the  class  for  whom  the  service  was  intended. 
An   amusing   article  might  be  written   to   describe 


94       LIFE  AND  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  H.  SPURGEON. 

the  singular  variety  of  countenances  and  callings 
of  those  present.  The  hymns  were  heartily  sung; 
the  prayer  won  the  hearts  of  the  audience,  when 
Mr.  Spurgeon  offered  supplication  for  those  who 
had  bodily  aches  and  pains,  and  whose  poverty 
deprived  them  of  many  desired  comforts;  many 
deep  sighs  followed  those  prayers.  The  sermon 
was  preached  from  John  IV,  15,  and  it  was  illus- 
trated by  allusions  to  the  habits  and  manner  of  his 
congregation,  whose  acuteness  relished  the  anec- 
dotes and  homely  hits  which  the  preacher  so  freely 
used.  A  costermonger's  living  depends  much 
upon  his  voice.  After  the  service  the  costers  were 
free  in  their  comments  on  the  preacher's  voice, 
which  was  described  as  'Wot  a  voice!'  'Wonder- 
ful!' 'Stunning!'  'I  never!'  'Would  make  a  fine 
coster!'  After  the  sermon  about  two  hundred  re- 
mained to  be  prayed  with,  and  much  spiritual 
good   was  done  that  night." 


THE  METROPOLITAN  TABERNACLE.  95 


THE  METROPOLITAN  TABERNACLE. 

T^HE  corner-stone  of  the  Metropolitan  Taber- 
*  nacle,  the  great  meeting-house  in  which  Mr. 
Spurgeon  now  preaches,  was  laid  with  great 
rejoicings  August  16,  1859,  by  Sir  Morton  Peto, 
himself  a  Baptist.  A  gentleman  in  Bristol,  who 
had  never  heard  the  pastor,  sent  $25,000  volun- 
tarily towards  the  new  edifice. 

Says  Mr.  Spurgeon:  ''Under  date  of  January 
6th,  1861,  there  stands  in  our  church  records  the 
following  solemn  declaration,  signed  by  the  pastor 
and  leading  friends:  "This  church  needs  rather 
more  than  ,£4,000  to  enable  it  to  open  the  new 
Tabernacle  free  of  all  debt.  It  humbly  asks  this 
temporal  mercy  of  God,  and  believes  that  for 
Jesus'  sake  the  prayer  will  be  heard  and  the  boon 
bestowed.     As  witness  our  hands.'  ' 

"Now  let  the  reader  mark,"  continues  Mr. 
Spurgeon,  "that  on  May  6th  of  the  same  year,  the 
pastor  and  friends  also  signed  their  names  to 
another  testimony,  which  is  worded  as  follows: 
'We,  the  undersigned  members  of  the  church, 
lately  worshiping  in  the  New  Park-street  Chapel, 


96        LIFE  AND  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  IT.  SPURGEON. 

but  now  assembling  in  the  Metropolitan  Taber- 
nacle, Newington,  desire,  with  overflowing  hearts, 
to  make  known  and  record  the  loving  kindness  of 
our  faithful  God.  We  asked  in  faith,  but  our 
Lord  has  exceeded  our  desires,  for  not  only  was 
the  whole  sum  given  us,  but  far  sooner  than  we 
had  looked  for  it.  Truly,  the  Lord  is  good  and 
worthy  to  be  praised.'  " 

In  May,  1861,  after  more  than  a  month  of  pre- 
liminary services,  the  Metropolitan  Tabernacle  was 
opened  for  regular  services  free  of  debt. 

It  cost  $155,000,  to  raise  which  Mr.  Spurgeon 
traveled  all  over  England.  It  is  146  feet  long,  81 
feet  broad  and  62  feet  high.  There  are  5,500 
sittings  of  all  kinds,  and  room  for  6,500  persons 
without  excessive  crowding.  The  main  floor 
extends  from  wall  to  wall,  and  there  are  besides 
two  galleries  extending  around  the  entire  house — 
even  behind  the  pulpit. 

The  lecture  room  holds  900  people  and  the  Sun- 
day-school room  1,000  children.  Besides  there 
are  six  class-rooms,  kitchen,  lavatory,  retiring- 
rooms;  also  rooms  for  ladies'  working  meeting, 
for  young  men's  class,  for  secretary,  for  pastor, 
for  deacons,  for  elders,  and  three  store-rooms 

Thus  had  Mr.  Spurgeon  completed  a  great  work 


THE  METROPOLITAN  TABERNACLE.  97 

in  seven  years,  and  at  26  years  of  age  was  found 
preaching  the  gospel  in  one  of  the  largest  buildings 
in  London  to  a  great  congregation,  both  edifice  and 
assembly  the  result  of  his  own  genius  and  piety. 

"During  the  progress  of  the  work  Mr.  Spurgeon 
met  on  the  ground  on  one  evening  after  the  work- 
men had  left,  one  of  his  deacons,  'good  Mr. 
Thomas  Cook."  After  some  consultation  and  medi- 
tation, surrounded  by  planks,  piles  of  timber  and 
bricks,  in  the  dim  twilight,  they  both  knelt  down 
where  no  eye  could  see  them  but  that  of  God ;  and 
with  only  the  canopy  of  heaven  for  their  covering, 
the  pastor  and  his  friend  both  poured  out  most 
earnest  supplications  for  the  prosperity  of  the  work, 
the  safety  of  the  men  engaged  on  the  building  and 
a  blessing  on  the  .church.  Their  prayers  were  not 
offered  in  vain,  but  were  abundantly  answered." 

It  is  evident  that  Mr.  Spurgeon  is  not  only  great 
as  a  preacher,  but  that  he  has  proved  himself  to  be 
an  able  author,  and  a  great  worker  in  every  depart- 
ment of  Christian  activity.  With  the  opening  of 
the  New  Tabernacle  began  a  work  wonderful  and 
world-wide,  that  has  never  been  surpassed  by  man. 


98        LIFE  AND  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  II.  SPURGEON. 


AN  ANCIENT  CHURCH. 

rT"'HE  church  to  which  young  Spurgeon  was 
*  called  was  an  old  one,  "venerable  alike 
for  both  age  and  influence,"  but  the  New  Park- 
street  Chapel,  in  which  the  church  worshiped, 
was  comparatively  modern,  not  being  quite  a 
quarter  of  a  century  old. 

"From  some  of  the  many  Baptist  assemblies 
which  met  in  the  borough  of  South wark,  our 
church,"  says  Mr.  Spurgeon,  took  its  rise.  Crosby 
says :  '  This  people  had  formerly  belonged  to  one 
of  the  most  ancient  congregations  of  the  Baptists 
in  London,  but  separated  from  them  in  the  year 
1652,  for  some  practices  which  they  judged  dis- 
orderly, and  kept  together  from  that  time  as  a 
distinct  body.'  They  appear  to  have  met  in  pri- 
vate houses,  or  in  such  other  buildings  as  were 
open  to  them." 

The  congregation,  though  few  in  number,  was 
composed  of  persons  of  influence  and  of  sound 
judgment  and  earnest  piety.  Some  of  the  mem- 
bers were  men  of  means  and  merchants  of  Lon- 
don.    The    first    pastor    of   the    church   was  Rev. 


AN  A  NCI  EXT  CHURCH.  99 

William  Rider,  a  sufferer  for  conscience  sake. 
This  was  during  the  ascendancy  of  Oliver  Crom- 
well. The  second  pastor  of  this  church  was  the 
well-known  Rev.  Benjamin  Keach. 

Mr.  Keach  was  converted  in  his  fifteenth  year 
and  at  the  age  of  fifteen  was  called  to  the  ministry, 
and  preached  at  Wins-low.  He  endured  losses, 
bereavements,  punishment  in  the  pillory,  but  was 
true  to  Christ  and  his  principles  in  all.  He  became 
pastor  of  the  church  in  Southwark  in  1668.  He 
was  a  self-made  man,  but  became  one  of  the  most 
notable  pastors  of  this  church,  which  had  several 
distinguished  pastors.  "As  a  Christian,  as  a 
divine,  as  an  author  and  as  a  controversalist,  Ben- 
jamin Keach  must  rank  among  the  giants  of  those 
days."  For  a  period  of  thirty-six  years  he  was 
the  faithful  and  exemplary  pastor  of  the  church. 
He  died  in  1704,  in  the  sixty-fourth  year  of  his  age. 

It  was  during  the  pastorate  of  Mr.  Keach  that 
the  church,  which,  in  the  early  part  of  his  ministry, 
worshiped  in  a  private  house  in  Tooley  Street, 
was,  by  the  gracious  dispensation  of  Charles  II., 
permitted  to  erect  a  meeting-house  upon  the  Hors^ 
leydown,  in  the  east  side  of  London  bridge.  It 
was  soon  necessary  to  enlarge  the  edifice  so  as  to 
accommodate  nearly  one  thousand  persons. 


itw      LIFE  AND  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  H.  SPURGEON. 

Rev.  Benjamin  Stinton,  the  son-in-law  of  Mr. 
Keach,  who  had  helped  him  in  his  pastoral  labors, 
became  the  successor  of  his  father-in-law.  Mr. 
Keach,  when  on  his  death  bed,  exacted  from  him 
the  promise  that  he  would  become  pastor  of  the 
church,  if  invited  to  do  so.  He  served  the  church 
as  pastor  from  1704  to  17 18,  fourteen  years,  and 
died  in  the  forty-third  year  of  his  age.  He  had 
great  natural  gifts,  but  a  limited  education,  which, 
however,  was  by  great  industry  enlarged  after  he 
became  pastor  of  the  church. 

He  was  originator  of  the  Protestant  Dissentors' 
Charity  School  in  Horsleydown,  and  of  The  Bap- 
tist Fund  for  the  honorable  maintenance  of  poor 
ministers  and  for  the  training  of  others  to  take 
their  places. 

The  celebrated  John  Gill,  D.  D.,  the  distin- 
guished oriental  scholar  and  commentator,  became 
the  fourth  pastor,  and  served  the  church  from  1720 
to  177 1,  a  period  of  fifty-one  years,  till  his  death. 
Mr.  Gill  came  from  Kettering,  where  he  was  pas- 
tor, and  where  Andrew  Fuller  afterward  preached. 
Dr.  Gill  was  born  there  in  1697 ;  hence  he  was 
but  twenty-three  years  old  when  he  became  pastor 
of  the  church.  The  church  flourished  under  his 
ministry. 


AN  ANCIENT  CHURCH,  101 

The  church,  during  Dr.  Gill's  pastorate,  in  1757, 
erected  for  him  a  new  meeting-house  in  Carter 
lane,  St  Olave's  street,  near  London  bridge, 
Southwark. 

He  died  in  177 1,  in  the  74th  year  01  his  age, 
after  living  to  celebrate  his  jubilee  as  pastor  among 
this  people. 

Mr.  Spurgeon  gives  a  cut  of  Dr.  Gill's  pulpit, 
and  says:  "It  has  for  years  been  used  by  the 
young  men  of  the  pastor's  college,  when  preach- 
ing before  their  fellow-students.  Ought  they  not 
to  be  sound?" 

The  church  in  Carter  lane  again  called  a  young 
man,  and  he  served  them  for  life,  the  Rev.  John 
Rippon,  D.  D.  Without  being  great  he  was  ex- 
ceedingly useful.  He  was  born  near  Tiverton,  in 
175 1,  and  came  from  the  Baptist  Academy  at 
Bristol  to  preach  for  the  church  on  probation.  He 
was  called  and  became  pastor  in  1773,  when  he 
was  but  twenty  years  of  age.  Some  members 
were  opposed  to  him  because  they  thought  him 
light  and  trilling,  but  he  showed  strong  common 
sense,  as  well  as  ability  as  a  preacher;  for  when 
the  disaffected  persons  withdrew  to  form  another 
church,  Mr.  Rippon  "  modestly  expressed  his  won- 
der that   more   had   not  been   dissatisfied,   and  his 


io2      LIFE  AND  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  H.  SPURGE  OX 

surprise  that  so  large  a  number  were  agreed  to 
call  him  to  the  pastorate.  In  the  spirit  of  forbear- 
ance and  brotherly  love,  he  proposed  that,  as  these 
friends  were  seceding  for  conscience  sake,  and 
intended  to  form  themselves  into  another  church, 
they  should  be  lovingly  dismissed  with  prayer  and 
God-speed,  and  that,  as  a  token  of  fraternal  love, 
they  should  be  assisted  to  build  a  meeting-house 
for  their  own  convenience,  and  the  sum  of  $1,500 
should  be  voted  to  them  when  their  church  was 
formed  and  their  meeting-house  erected.  The 
promise  was  redeemed,  and  Mr.  Rippon  took  part 
in  the  ordination  service  of  the  first  minister.  This 
was  well  done.  Such  a  course  was  sure  to  secure 
the  blessing  of  God." 

"It  is  somewhat  remarkable,"  says  Mr.  Spur- 
geon,  "  as  illustrating  the  perversity  of  human 
judgment,  that  the  seceding  friends  who  objected 
to  Rippon's  youth,  elected  for  their  pastor  Mr. 
William  Beetton,  who  was  younger  still,  only 
being  nineteen  years  of  age." 

"The  friends  who  remained  with  young  Rip- 
pon," continued  Mr.  Spurgeon,  "had  no  reason 
to  regret  their  choice ;  the  tide  of  prosperity  set  in 
and  continued  for  half  a  century,  and  the  chureh 
again  came  to  the  front  in  denominational  affairs. 


AN  ANCIENT  CHURCH.  103 

The  chapel  in  Carter  lane  was  enlarged,  and 
various  agencies  and  societies  set  in  motion ;  there 
was,  in  fact,  a  real  revival  of  religion  in  the  church. 
Rippon  was  rather  clever  than  profound;  his  talents 
were  far  inferior  to  those  of  Gill,  but  he  had  more 
tact,  and  so  turned  his  gifts  to  the  greatest  possible 
account." 

While  the  church  was  under  the  pastoral  care  of 
Dr.  Rippon,  the  Carter-lane  Chapel  was  demol- 
ished, in  1830,  to  make  room  for  the  approaches 
of  the  present  London  bridge,  and  the  New  Park- 
street  Chapel  was  erected.  In  this  latter  edifice 
the  church  was  worshiping  when  Mr.  Spurgeon . 
became  pastor;  and  he  found  them  singing  out  of 
Watts'  and  Rippon's  hymn-book.  Speaking  of 
the  demolition  of  the  chapel,  Mr.  Spurgeon  says: 
"Due  compensation  was  given,  but  a  chapel  could 
not  be  built  in  a  day,  and,  therefore,  for  three 
years  the  church  was  without  a  home.  After  so 
long  a  time  for  choice,  the  good  deacons  ought  to 
have  pitched  upon  a  better  site  for  the  new  edifice ; 
but  it  is  not  harshly  judging  them  when  we  say 
that  they  could  not  have  discovered  a  worse  posi- 
tion. If  they  had  taken  thirty  years  to  look  about 
them  with  the  design  of  burying  the  church  alive, 
they   could   not  have    succeeded   better.      *     *     * 


io4      LIFE  AND  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  H.  SPURGE  ON. 

Here  in  New  Park  street,  however,  the  new  chapel 
must  be  built,  because  the  ground  was  a  cheap 
freehold,  and  the  authorities  were  destitute  of 
enterprise,  and  would  not  spend  a  penny  more 
than  the  amount  in  hand.  That  God  in  infinite 
mercy  forbade  the  extinction  of  the  church  is  no 
mitigation  of  the  short-sightedness  which  thrust  a 
respectable  community  of  Christians  into  an  out-of- 
the-way  position,  far  more  suitable  for  a  tallow 
melter's  than  a  meeting-house." 

"The  church,  however,  was  a  neat,  handsome, 
commodious,  well-built  edifice,  and  was  regarded 
as  one  of  the  best  Baptist  chapels  in  London."  It 
stood  on  the  Surrey  side  of  the  Thames,  near 
Southwark  Bridge. 

Like  his  distinguished  successor  Mr.  Spurgeon, 
Dr.  Rippon  was  humorous  and  witty. 

When  asked  why  he  did  not  attend  more  denomi- 
national meetings  and  take  the  lead  he  replied, 
"Why,  I  see  the  Dover  coach  go  by  my  house 
every  morning,  and  I  notice  that  the  leaders  get 
most  lashed." 

"How  is  it,  Doctor,  that  your  church  is  so  peace- 
ful? asked  a  much-tried  brother  minister.  Well, 
friend,"  replied  Dr.  Rippon:  "You  see,  we  don't 
call  a  church-meeting  to    consult  about  buying  a 


AN  ANCIENT  CHURCH.  105 

new  broom  every  time  we  want  one,  and  we  don't 
entreat  every  noisy  member  to  make  a  speech 
about  the  price  of  soap  the  floors  are  scrubbed 
with." 

Dr.  Rippon  died  in  1836,  in  the  85th  year  of  his 
age  and  the  63d  of  his  pastorate.  During  one 
hundred  and  seventeen  years  the  church  had  had 
but  two  pastors. 

Rev.  C.  Room,  who  had  assisted  Dr.  Rippon, 
served  as  supply  for  some  time.  Dr.  Joseph  An- 
gus was  called  to  the  oastorate  in  1837,  and  served 
two  years. 

Upon  the  resignation  of  Dr.  Angus,  Rev.  James 
Smith  became  pastor  and  occupied  that  relation  for 
eight  years,  from  1841  to  1850,  when  he  resigned. 

Rev.  William  Walters  followed,  in  185 1,  and 
after  remaining  two  years,  resigned. 

All  these  were  men  of  ability,  but  Mr.  Spurgeon 
says,  "These  changes  sadly  diminished  the  church 
and  marred  its  union.  The  clouds  gathered  heavily 
and  no  sunlight  appeared." 

He  writes:  "Those  who  are  given  to  change 
were  not  numerous  in  the  community.  Short  pas- 
torates are  good  when  ministers  are  feeble,  but  it 
is  a  great  blessing  when  saints  are  so  edified  that 
all*  are    content,  and   the   ministry  is  so  owned  of 


106      LIFE  AXD  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  11.  SPURGEON. 

God  that  vacancies  are  filled  up  even  before  they 
are  felt.  In  such  a  case,  change  would  wantonly 
imperil  the  hope  of  continued  prosperity,  and 
would  therefore  be  criminal." 

Another  writer  says :  "These  frequent  changes 
had  not  a  good  effect.  The  number  of  church- 
members,  although  increased  by  Mr.  Smith's  min- 
istry, was  comparatively  small.  From  the  extreme 
of  prosperity,  and  from  the  highest  point  of  emi- 
nence and  influence,  the  church  at  New  Park-street 
had  greatly  diminished  in  numbers,  until  the  con- 
gregation did  not  occupy  more  than  half  the  seats 
in  the  new  chapel,  and  the  income  had  become  in- 
sufficient to  sustain  the  pastor  and  pay  the  ordinary 
expenses  of  the  place." 

It  was  at  this  season  of  depression  that  Mr.  Spur- 
geon  appeared  in  the  pulpit  of  the  New  Park-street 
Church. 

An  eminent  Presbyterian  divine  distinquished 
for  grace  and  learning,  wished  that  there  were  a 
hundred  Spurgeons  in  London  and  fifty  in  New 
York.  But  there  is  only  one  Spurgeon.  Such 
men  come  once  only  in  a  generation,  or  "like  angels 
visits,  few  and  far  between.'*  Whitefield  was  such 
a  man,  and  so  was  Summerfield.  "Spurgeon  is 
not  a  whit  behind  either  of  those  men  in  graphic 


AN  ANCIENT  CHURCH.  107 

power,  while  he  is  vastly  superior  to  them  in  logic 
and  illustration.  He  grapples  with  the  strangest 
truths,  unfolds  the  profoundest  doctrines,  plies  the 
lever  with  the  stoutest  arguments,  and  aims  at  con- 
vincing before  he  attempts  to  persuade.  He  has, 
therefore,  all  the  elements  of  great  usefulness  and 
of  permanent  popularity." 

These  words  were  written  m  the  early  days  of 
Mr.  Spurgeon's  ministry  in  London  and  hence 
seem  to  us,  looking  back  on  a  long  and  useful 
career  of  undiminished  greatness  and  glory,  as 
prophetic. 


IoS      I.TFR  AND  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  //.  SPURGRON. 


THE  AUTHOR. 

A  /IR.  SPURGEON  has  proved  himself  able  to 
■*  "  *■  write  with  a  ready  pen,  as  well  as  speak 
with  an  eloquent  tongue.  One  would  suppose, 
from  his  much  writing  and  many  valuable  books, 
that  he  would  have  no  shrinking  from  the  toils 
and  responsibilities  of  authorship;  but  Mr.  Spur- 
geon,  great  as  he  is,  also  is  a  man.  The  follow- 
ing quotations  from  his  prefaces  show  his  shrinking 
humility  when  he  put  forth  his  books  to  the  world, 
and  also  his  strong  common  sense,  firmness  to  his 
convictions,  his  fairness  of  dealing,  and  his  inde- 
pendence of  character.  It  seems,  however,  to 
have  been  no  easy  task  for  Mr.  Spurgeon  to 
write. 

In  1857  he  wrote  in  his  preface  to  The  Saint 
and  His  Saviour:  "I  have  no  idea  what  I  am 
expected  to  say  in  a  preface.  *  *  I  will,  how- 
ever, make  one  or  two  faithful  declarations  which 
may,  perhaps,  shield  me  from  the  reader's  wrath, 
should  he  find  my  work  of  less  value  than  he 
expected.  Never  was  a  book  written  amid  more 
incessant  toil.     Only  the  fragments  of  time  could 


Mr,  Spurgeon  at  the  Age  of  Twenty-one. 


THE  AUTHOR.  109 

be  allotted  to  it,  and  intense  mental  and  bodily 
exertions  have  often  rendered  me  incapable  of 
turning  even  these  fragments  to  advantage. 
Writing  to  me  is  the  work  of  a  slave.  It  is  a 
delight,  a  joy,  a  rapture  to  talk  out  one's  thoughts 
in  words  that  flash  upon  the  mind  at  the  instant 
when  they  are  required;  but  it  is  poor  drudgery 
to  sit  still  and  groan  for  thoughts  and  words  with- 
out succeeding  in  obtaining  them.  Well  may  a 
man's  books  be  called  his  'Works,'  for,  if  every 
mind  were  constituted  as  mine,  it  would  be  work 
indeed  to  produce  a  quarto  volume.  Nothing  but 
a  sense  of  duty  has  impelled  me  to  finish  this  book, 
which  has  been  more  than  two  years  on  hand." 

In  his  book  entitled  The  Metropolitan 
Tabernacle,  Its  History  and  Work,  Mr. 
Spugeon  says:  "When  modest  ministers  submit 
their  sermons  to  the  press  they  usually  place  upon 
the  title  page  the  words,  '■Printed  by  request.''  We 
might  with  emphatic  truthfulness  pleaded  this 
apology  for  the  present  narrative,  for  times  without 
number,  friends  from  all  parts  of  the  world  have 
said,  'Have  you  no  book  which  will  tell  us  all 
about  your  work?' 

"The  best  excuse  for  writing  a  history  is  that 
there  is  something"  to  tell,  and  unless  we   are  greatly 


no     LIFE  AND  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  H.  SPURGEON. 

mistaken  the  facts  here  placed  on  record  are 
worthy  of  being  known. 

''Our  young  people  ought  to  be  told  by  their 
fathers  the  wondrous  things  which  God  did  in  their 
day  'and  in  the  old  time  before  them.'  Such 
things  are  forgotten  if  they  are  not  every  now  and 
then  rehearsed  anew  in  the  ears  of  the  fresh  gen- 
ations.  'Why  should  the  wonders  he  hath  wrought 
be  lost  in  silence  and  forgot?'  We  feel  that  we 
only  discharge  a  duty  to  the  present  and  coming 
generations  when  we  use  our  pen  for  such  a 
purpose. 

"The  Baptist  character  of  the  book  may  trouble 
some  thin-skinned  readers  of  other  denominations, 
but  we  appeal  to  their  candor  and  ask  them,  if 
they  were  writing  the  story  of  a  Methodist  or 
Presbyterian  church,  would  they  think  it  needful, 
fitting,  or  truthful  to  suppress  the  peculiarities  of 
the  case?  In  all  probability  they  would  not  have 
been  less  denominational  than  we  have  been, 
or  if  they  had  succeeded  in  being  so  they  would 
have  robbed  their  record  of  half  its  value  and  all 
its  interest.  We  do  not  expect  in  reading  a  life  of 
Wesley  to  find  his  Arminianism  and  his  Methodism 
left  out,  nor  ought  any  one  to  expect  us  to  weed 
out   Believer's   Baptism    and   Calvinistic    doctrine 


THE   AUTHOR.  in 

from  the  amuus  of  a  Particular  Baptist  church. 
We  arc  Calvinistic  Baptists,  and  we  have  no  desire 
to  sail  under  false  colors,  neither  are  we  ashamed 
of  our  principles;  if  we  were  we  would  renounce 
them  to-morrow." 


112      LIFE  AND  WORK  OF  REV,  C,  II  SPURGE  ON. 


HIS  PREACHING  AND  SERMONS. 

MR.  SPURGEON  preaches  to  thousands  all 
over  the  world,  of  all  nations  and  of  all 
denominations,  by  the  printed  page,  especially  by 
his  sermons,  and  many  have  been  converted,  and 
multitudes  of  God's  people  enlightened,  encour- 
aged, comforted  and  strengthened  by  them.  One 
of  his  sermons,  that  on  "Baptismal  Regeneration," 
reached  a  circulation  of  200,000.  Besides  the 
many  large  volumes,  there  is  a  weekly  publication 
of  the  sermons  in  pamphlet  form,  which  is  distrib- 
uted widely.  From  the  very  beginning  of  his 
ministry  in  London,  his  sermons  were  printed 
weekly. 

His  sermons  have  been  translated  into  several 
languages,  and  copies  of  them  have  been  hand- 
somely bound  by  a  gentleman  and  presented  to 
every  crowned  head  in  Europe.  The  same  person 
has  distributed  at  his  own  expense,  2ro,ooo  copies 
of  the  sermons. 

How  Mr.  Spurgeon  came  to  print  his  first 
sermon  is  related  by  himself.  Even  when  a  youth, 
he  read  the  printed  sermons  of  Rev.  Joseph  Irons, 


HIS  PREACHING  AND   SERMONS  113 

and  resolved  some  day  to  have  "a  penny  pulpit  of 
his  own."  In  the  fall  after  his  settlement  in 
London  he  published  a  sermon  entitled  "Harvest 
Time,"  which  met  with  such  a  welcome  that  he 
was  encouraged  to  publish  more.  By  the  close  of 
the  year  he  had  published  about  twelve  in  all.  He 
arranged  with  a  publisher,  Joseph  Passmore,  a 
relative  of  Dr.  Rippon,  to  print  one  of  his  sermons 
weekly,  beginning  with  the  year  1855.  Tins, 
doubtless,  added  much  to  his  popularity.  There 
has  been  a  growing  demand  for  them,  until  now 
the  issue  is  25,000  every  week.  The  firm  now  is 
Passmore  &  Alabaster,  and  their  business  in  pub- 
lishing and  selling  the  works  of  Mr.  Spurgeon 
alone  must  be  immense. 

A  writer,  speaking  of  the  reception  and  circula- 
tion of  Mr.  Spurgeon's  sermons  in  America,  savs: 
"The  reception  of  Mr.  Spurgeon's  sermons  in  the 
United  States  of  America,  has  no  parallel  in  the 
history  of  this  department  of  religious  literature. 
Without  any  of  those  aids  to  popularity  that  they 
have  in  England,  where  the  voice  of  the  young 
living  preacher  has  been  heard  all  over  the  land, 
thousands  will  try  to  read  the  eloquence  that 
has  thrilled  their  hearts,  here  no  one  has  heard 
his  voice-  but  these  printed  pages  have  come  with 


TI4     LIFE  AND  WORK  OF  REV.  C,  II.  SPURGE  ON, 

messages  of  salvation,  and  have  been  hailed  with 
joyful  emotion  by  thousands  in  all  parts  of  this  vast 
country.  Up  to  this  date  44,000  of  these  volumes 
have  been  sold  within  the  last  twelve  weeks,  and 
orders  are  flowing  in  for  them  so  rapidly  that  1,000 
copies  per  week  will  not  supply  the  demand.  This 
is  the  more  remarkable  as  it  occurs  at  a  time  when 
there  is  comparatively  little  demand  for  books,  and 
the  trade  is  languishing.  The  publishers  receive 
daily,  from  the  clergy  of  all  evangelical  denomi- 
nations, the  most  valuable  and  hearty  assurances 
that  the  sermons  of  Mr.  Spurgeon  are  just  what 
they  and  their  people  need  and  love.  Churches 
that  are  destitute  of  pastors  have  called  for  these 
sermons  that  they  may  be  read  from  the  vacant 
pulpit.  And  it  may  be  safely  said  that  hundreds 
of  thousands  in  this  western  world  have  already 
been  brought  under  the  power  of  the  truth  as 
preached  by  this  youthful  herald  of  the  cross. 

"One  of  the  most  extraordinary  facts  remains  to 
be  mentioned:  The  secular  press  of  the  United 
States,  with  unexampled  unanimity,  has  com- 
mended these  sermons.  Their  boldness  and 
directness,  their  glowing  eloquence  and  great 
ability,  command  the  respect  and  admiration  of 
all   cultivated   men.' 


HIS  PREACHING  AND   SERMONS.  115 

It  has  been  years  since  these  words  were  writ- 
ten, for  Mr.  Spurgeon  is  no  longer  the  "youthful 
herald"  that  he  then  was,  but  he  is  yet  the  popular 
preacher  in  America,  and  thousands  of  his  sermons 
have  since  been  read.,  and  more  so  to-day  than 
ever  is  this  true. 

Mr.  Spurgeon 's  sermons,  as  has  been  said,  are 
read  by  all  classes  the  world  over. 

One  day  a  gentleman  was  climbing  the  Alps 
over  Lake  Geneva,  when  he  came  to  a  solitary 
cottage,  before  whose  door,  upon  the  grass,  sat 
two  poor  women,  one  reading  while  the  other  was 
sewing-.  His  curiosity  was  excited  to  know  what 
book  had  found  its  way  to  that  lowly  and  desolate 
spot,  so  he  asked  the  woman  what  she  was  read- 
ing. She  at  once  held  up  the  book,  and  great  was 
his  surprise  to  find  it  was  a  volume  of  Mr.  Spur- 
geon's  sermons  translated  into  French. 

"One  of  the  bondsmen  or  the  Seventy-third 
Regiment,"  says  Mr.  Spurgeon,  "writes  home 
from  India  to  say  that  he  receives  our  sermon 
every  week  by  post,  and  that  on  a  Sunday  evening 
the  soldiers  will  read  '  Spurgeon's  sermons '  when 
they  will  read  nothing  else  of  a  religious  char- 
acter. He  states  that  after  a  sermon  has  gone  the 
round  of  fifty  or  sixty  men,  it  is  returned  to  him 


n6     LIFE  A. YD  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  II.  SPURGEON. 

all  black  and  fringed,  through  the  wear  and  tear." 
A  German  lady  who  received  one  of  Mr.  Spur- 
geon's  sermons,  entitled  ''The  Seven  Sneezes," 
from  the  text  2  Kings,  4:  35,  asked  her  son,  just 
returned  for  the  Easter  holidays,  to  translate  it  for 
her  into  German.  He  was  led,  as  his  mother  had 
hoped,  to  see  his  condition,  and  soon  after  to  feel 
within  himself  the  impulses  of  spiritual  life. 

On  Monday,  January  9,  1888,  a  great  many 
people  met  in  the  Metropolitan  Tabernacle  to 
welcome  Mr.  Spurgeon  home  from'Mentone,  where 
he  had  been  for  his  health,  and  also  to  recognize 
the  fact  that  the  2,000th  sermon  of  the  great 
preacher  had  been  published.  Mr.  Spurgeon,  on 
this  occasion,  said:  "I  have  in  my  hand  a  sermon 
by  which  I  set  great  store.  It  bears  the  initials 
D.  L.,  that  is,  David  Livingston,  and  is  a  sermon 
found  inside  of  Dr.  Livingstone's  box.  It  is 
entitled,  'Accidents  not  Punishments,'  No.  408, 
and  on  it  is  written  'very  good,  D.  L.'  This  is 
sent  me  by  Mrs.  Agnes  Livingstone  Bruce,  and  is 
brown  and  worn,  but  I  treasure  it  as  a  great  relic, 
because  that  servant  of  God  carried  it  with  him, 
and  evidently  carried  it  in  his  box." 

Mr.  Spurgeon  alluded  also  to  the  wide  circula- 
tion   reached   by  his    sermons   in    all    lands,    and 


HIS  PREACHING  AXD   SERMONS.  117 

among  all  nations,  including  the  Russians  and  the 
Boers 

It  is  said  that  Dr.  Livingstone,  while  in  England 
was  a  constant  attendant  upon  the  preaching  of 
Mr.  Spurgeon,  and  hence,  it  is  not  to  be  wondered 
at,  that  he  should  have  carried  this  printed  sermon 
all  over  Africa  in  his  strong  box. 

The  Metropolitan  Pnlpit>  a  monthly  publication 
of  the  pastor's  sermons,  reached  its  2,000th  pub- 
lished sermon,  all  by  the  editor  and  pastor,  on  the 
occasion  named  above,  and  in  September,  1890, 
its  425th  Part,  and  with  its  more  than  2,150 
sermons,  composes  a  vast  store  of  sermonic 
treasure. 

"One  of  our  college  brethren  sends  us  the  fol- 
lowing cheering  letter:  'Dear  Mr.  Spurgeon — 
When  visiting  a  sick  woman  to-day,  she  said: 
"Oh,  how  I  do  enjoy  Mr.  Spurgeon's  sermons! 
My  poor  brother,  many  years  ago,  was  on  his 
death-bed.  Consumption  was  killing  him.  One 
day  we  heard  him  call  out,  'I've  found  him!'  'I've 
found  him!'  'Found  who?'  said  mother,  speaking 
up  the  stairs,  'Found  my  blessed  Saviour.'  Up 
ran  mother,  and  I  followed,  and  when  we  got  to 
his  bedside,  tears  were  streaming  down  his  face, 
and  he  was  holding  in  his  hands  one  of  Mr.  Spur- 


u8     LIFE  AND  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  II.  SPURGEON. 

geon's  sermons.  'Look,  mother,  look!  Mr. 
Spurgeon  has  led  me  to  Jesus!  Oh,  how  blessed! 
I  see  him!  I  see  him!'  Then,  weak  as  he  was, 
he  would  have  us  sit  down,  and  read  aloud  to  us 
the  sermon  that  led  him  to  Jesus.'  " 

Mr.  Spurgeon's  likeness  has  gone  everywhere 
with  his  sermons.  Some  time  ago  there  appeared 
in  a  shop  window,  in  New  Castle,  England,  under 
a  lithographic  likeness  of  Mr.  Spurgeon,  the 
announcement,  "Spurgeon  reduced  to  sixpence." 
A  friend  informed  Mr.  Spurgeon  of  it,  and  hoped 
that  he  was  not  quite  so  poor  as  the  notice  implied. 
No  one  enjoyed  it,  or  was  more  amused  than  Mr. 
Spurgeon  himself. 

Mr.  Spurgeon  may  be  called  a  great  author  not 
only  from  his  sermons,  but  because  of  his  books 
and  many  other  valuable  publications. 


HIS  BOOKS  119 


HIS  BOOKS. 

MR.  SPURGEON  is  a  very  voluminous  writer, 
being  the  author  of  over  sixty  volumes,  and 
his  works  have  been  classified  thus  by  his  pub- 
lishers: Expository — The  Treasury  of  David, 
containing  an  Original  Exposition  of  the  Book  of 
Psalms,  in  seven  volumes;  The  Interpreter,  or 
Scripture  for  Family  Worship;  and,  The  Golden 
Alphabet  of  Praises  of  Holy  Scripture. 

Homiletical  —  The  Metropolitan  Tabernacle 
Pulpit,  containing  his  sermons,  in  thirty-three  vol- 
umes; and  a  dozen  volumes  of  sermons  besides,  under 
special  names,  for  example,  Soul-winning  Sermons, 
Striking  Sermons,  Christmas  Sermons,  New  Year's 
Sermons,  Types  and  Emblems,  Trumpet  Calls, 
Storm  Signals,  The  Present  Truth,  Farm  Ser- 
mons, and  The  Royal  Wedding. 

Illustrative — Feathers  for  Arrows,  or  Illus 
trations  for  Preachers  and  Teachers;  and,  Illustra- 
tions and  Meditations    or  Flowers  from  a  Puritan's 
Garden. 

Extracts — Gleanings  Among  the  Sheaves. 

Devotional — Morning  by  Morning ;  and  Even- 


i2o      LIFE  AND  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  //.  SPURGEON. 

ing  by  Evening;  or  Daily  Readings  for  the  Family 
or  Closet. 

For  Students — Lectures  to  My  Students,  two 
volumes;  Commenting  and  Commentaries;  My 
Sermon  Notes,  four  volumes;  and,  Speeches  at 
Home  and  Abroad. 

Periodical — The  Sword  and  The  Trowel,  a 
Record  of  Combat  with  Sin  and  of  Labor  for  the 
Lord,  a  monthly  magazine. 

Historical — The  Metropolitan  Tabernacle,  its 
History   and  Work. 

Popular — John  Ploughman's  Talk;  and,  John 
Ploughman's  Pictures,  or  Plain  Advice  for  Plain 
People,  there  being  on  the  cover  of  the  latter  vol- 
ume Mr.  Spurgeon  himself,  dressed  as  an  English 
plowman;  Spurgeon's  Shilling  Series;  The  Clue 
of  the  Maze;  All  of  Grace;  According  to  Promise; 
three  volumes,  addressed  to  business  men,  entitled, 
A  Man  in  Christ,  The  Claims  of  God,  First  Things 
First;  and,  A  Catechism  with  Proofs. 

In  addition  to  all  these  is  Mr.  Spurgeon's  Illus- 
trated Almanac,  and  numerous  tracts  and  leaflets, 
some  illustrated  and  some  colored,  upon  various 
Christian  duties  and  doctrines.  Among  the  more 
recent  books  of  Mr.  Spurgeon  are,  The  Cheque 
Book  of  the  Bank  of  Faith,  being  precious  promises 


HIS  BOOK'S.  121 

arranged  for  daily  use;  The  Salt-Cellars ,  a  col- 
lection of  short  proverbs,  together  with  brief  notes 
thereon,  in  two  volumes;  and  Sermons  in  Caudles. 
These  books  have  had  a  large  circulation.  The 
first  volume  of  The  Treasury  of  David  has  had  a 
circulation  of  25,000,  and  300,000  copies  of  John 
Ploughman  have  been  sold.  The  Sword  and 
Trowel  has  reached  its  25th  year,  having  been 
first  issued   in    January,  1S65. 


122      LIFE  AND  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  Jf.  SPURGEON. 


THE  WORKER. 

J\  /IR.  SPURGEON  and  his  people  are  great 
*■  "  *  workers,  not  that  preaching  and  authorship 
are  not  work,  but  we  would  distinguish  these  from 
organized  church  work  in  which  others  share  the 
labors  of  the  pastor. 

When  a  church,  somewhere  in  England,  wrote 
to  Mr.  Spurgeon  to  send  them  a  pastor  who  would 
fill  their  house  of  worship,  he  replied,  "that  he  did 
not  know  one  that  would  do  it;  that  it  was  as  much 
as  any  preacher  could  do  to  fill  the  pulpit,  and  that 
they,  the  church  should  fill  the  house."  This 
shows  that  Mr.  Spurgeon  believes  in  Christians 
working. 

Connected  with  the  church,  and  presided  over 
by  the  pastor,  are  the  following  flourishing  insti- 
tutions, most  of  them  in  their  own  buildings  erected 
for  the  purpose :  The  almshouses  for  the  church 
poor;  the  Pastors'  College,  sending  out  in  all  the 
world  its  hundreds  of  young  men  to  preach  the 
gospel;  one  orphanage  for  boys  and  another  for 
girls,  sheltering  500  fatherless  children;  an  asylum 
for  widows ;  a  colportage  association  for  the  circu- 


THE   WORKER.  123 

lation  of  religious  literature,  besides  many  other 
forms  of  church  work  of  minor  importance.  Besides 
this,  it  is  worthy  of  record  that  Mrs.  Spurgeon  has 
been  very  successful  in  raising  a  fund  for  supply- 
ing poor  ministers  of  all  denominations  with  books. 
Christian  people  have  furnished  thousands  of 
dollars  of  the  money  needed  for  conducting  all 
these  enterprises  voluntarily,  and  often  without 
solicitation. 

In  the  diary  of  the  Earl  of  Shaftsbury  is  the 
following  entry: 

"June  12th,  1875.  At  eleven  o'clock  yester- 
day to  Spurgeon's  Tabernacle,  to  go  with  him 
over  all  his  various  institutions,  school,  college, 
almshouses,  orphanage.  All  sound,  good,  true, 
Christ-like.  He  is  a  wonderful  man,  full  of  zeal, 
affection,  faith,  abounding  in  reputation  and  au- 
thority, and  yet  perfectly  humble,  the  openness 
and  simplicity  of  a  child." 


124      IIFE  AND  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  II.  SPURGEON. 


THE   ALMSHOUSES. 

/""\VER  the  door  of  the  girls'  school  connected 
^-^  with  the  almshouses  of  the  church  is  the 
following  inscription  : 

"These  buildings  are  connected  with  the 
ancient  church  now  worshiping  in  the  met- 
ROPOLITAN Tabernacle.  Six  of  the  alms- 
houses,  TOGETHER   WITH    A   SCHOOL-ROOM,  WERE 

built  and  endowed  under  the  pastorate  of 
Dr.  John  Rippon,  at  New  Park  street, 
Southwark.  The  present  structures  were 
completed  March,   1868. 

C.  H.  and  J.  A.  Spurgeon,  Pastors. 
Dr.  Rippon 's  love  for  the  aged  women  of  his 
congregation,  led  to  the  establishment  of  these 
almshouses.  First  a  house  was  taken  near  the 
chapel  then  in  Carter  Lane,  and  afterward  three 
almshouses  were  erected  and  called  after  his 
name.     The  inscription  was, 

DR.  RIPPON'S  ALMSHOUSES, 

Formerly    in   Carter    Lane,    Troley  Street,    Having 

Been    Taken  Down  for    the   Approaches   to 

New    London    Bridge,    These    Were 
Erected   in   Their  Stead. 

ANNO     DOMINI     MDCCCXXXII. 


THE  ALMSHOUSES.  125 

This  institution  seemed  to  have  followed  the 
church  in  all  its  removals,  for  not  only  were  they 
removed  in  1832  to  New  Park  street  with  the 
church,  but  were  finally  removed  into  the  neigh- 
borhood of  the  Metropolitan  Tabernacle. 

It  was  confidently  hoped  by  Mr.  Spurgeon  and 
his  people  when  the  Metropolitan  Tabernacle  was 
erected  that  the  meeting-house  they  left  in  New 
Park  street  could  still  be  maintained  and  the 
preaching  of  the  gospel  be  continued  there  until  it 
should  become  the  abode  of  another  church.  But 
the  experiment  failed  and  the  property  was  finally 
sold. 

The  property  consisted  of  the  chapel,  school  and 
almshouses.  The  inmates  greatly  rejoiced  when 
they  learned  that  they  were  to  be  removed  not 
only  into  a  pleasant  part  of  the  city  where  they 
could  breathe  pure  air,  but  into  the  vicinity  of  the 
Tabernacle. 

The  site  is  near  the  Elephant  and  Castle  Rail- 
way Station,  and  the  building  can  be  seen  from 
the  train  when  it  stops  at  the  station.  It  seems 
strange  to  sojourners  in  some  parts  of  London,  in 
their  inquiries  for  Mr.  Spurgeon's  Tabernacle,  to 
be  told  to  take  the  cars  for  the  Elephant  and 
Castle. 


126      LIFE  AND  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  II.  SPURGEON. 

The  first  stone  in  the  new  buildings  was  laid 
May  6,  1867,  by  Deacon  Thomas  Olney,  whose 
biography  Mr.  Spurgeon  gives  us,  and  members 
of  whose  family  are  still  prominent  members  in  the 
church. 

With  ever  enlarging  views,  it  was  resolved  to 
raise  $5,000,  in  addition  to  the  purchase  money  in 
hand,  which  was  done.  $3,750  more  was  found 
necessary  upon  the  completion  of  the  plans,  for 
extras,  and  one  Sunday  morning  the  pastor  an- 
nounced the  fact,  and  also  his  determination  that 
the  institution  should  remain  unoccupied  till  all 
was  paid  for.  The  amount  was  collected  at  once, 
and  the  new  establishment  was  free  of  debt. 

Mr.  Spurgeon  adds:  "  The  cardinal  rule  of 
avoiding  all  debt  has  been  the  means  of  great 
strength  to  us.  People  do  not  want  to  pay  for 
things,  after  they  have  them,  with  half  the  readi- 
ness with  which  they  subscribe  to  purchase  them. 
Besides,  the  scriptural  rule  is,  'Owe  no  man  any- 
thing.' " 

Included  in  the  institution  are  seventeen  alms- 
rooms,  two  school-rooms,  and  a  class-room,  which 
are  occupied  by  about  400  children  on  week  days, 
and  also  a  home  for  the  school-master. 

Women,  above  the   age  of  60,  needing  support, 


THE  ALMSHOUSES.  127 

and  who  are  members  of  the  church,  are  eligible 
to  become  occupants  of  the  rooms.  Generally  they 
are  chosen  according  to  their  number  on  the  church 
book,  and  urgency  of  the  case. 

Mr.  Spurgeon  speaks,  in  1876,  of  Miss  Fanny 
Gay,  aged  87  years,  and  for  69  years  a  member  of 
the  church,  as  "an  eminently  devout,  prudent,  godly 
woman,"  and  as  one  who  had  "in  pastyears  rendered 
eminent  service  by  her  conversations  with  young 
women  who  needed  instruction  or  comfort."  "It  is 
a  joy,"  he  said,  "to  provide  a  resting  place  for  her 
and  other  aged  sisters."  Miss  Gay  is  mentioned 
as  being  an  inmate  of  the  alms-houses  before  their 
removal  from  New  Park  street,  as  early  as  1858, 
who  then  furnished  many  interesting  particulars 
respecting  the  institution. 


128     LIFE  AND  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  II.  SPURGEON. 


THE  PASTORAL  SILVER  WEDDING. 

TN  January,  1879,  Mr.  Spurgeon  completed  the 
*■  twenty-fifth  year  of  his  pastorate,  and  the 
church  decided  to  celebrate  the  anniversary,  which 
was  termed  The  Pastoral  Silver  Wedding,  by 
presenting  Mr.  Spurgeon  with  a  liberal  testimonial. 
It  was  proposed  to  raise  $25,000.  By  means  of  a 
large  bazaar  and  subscriptions  the  proceeds  ex- 
ceeded the  sum  originally  proposed.  Mr.  Spur- 
geon declined  receiving  the  money  for  his  personal 
benefit,  but  suggested  that  the  amount  be  used  as 
an  endowment  for  the  almshouses,  which  afforded 
homes  for  nineteen  poor  aged  women,  and  which 
required  a  more  permanent  support.  The  pro- 
ceeds of  the  Pastoral  Silver  Wedding  Fund  were 
consequently  devoted  to  this  object  and  the  future 
stability  of  the  almshouse0  secured. 

Mr.  Spurgeon,  in  the  History  of  the  Metropoli- 
tan Tabernacle,  says:  ''The  original  endow- 
ments, after  payment  of  repairs,  do  not  suffice 
wholly  to  provide  for  six  inmates,  and  there  are 
now  seventeen;  the  support  of  the  remaining 
eleven   involves   a   heavy   draught  upon  the   com- 


THE  PASTORAL   SILVER   IVEDDIXG.  129 

munion  fund  of  our  church,  which  is  already  fully 
weighted  down  with  poor  members.  We  greatly 
need  at  least  $25,000  to  endow  the  almshouses, 
and  place  the  institution  upon  a  proper  footing. 
Already  C.  H.  Spurgeon,  Thomas  Olney  and 
Thomas  Greenwood  have  contributed  $1,000  each 
towards  the  fund,  and  we  earnestly  trust  that  either 
by  donations  or  legacies,  the  rest  of  the  $25,000 
will  be  forthcoming.  This  would  only  provide 
five  shillings  per  week  for  each  poor  woman, 
which  is  little  enough.  If  more  could  be  raised 
it  would  be  so  much  the  better  for  the  pensioners. 
The  pastors  are  anxious  to  see  this  matter  put  into 
proper  order;  they  confess  that  the  responsibility 
of  having  increased  the  number  of  rooms  and 
alms-women  rests  mainly  on  them,  and  therefore 
they  feel  that  their  work  is  not  done  till  at  least 
five  shillings  per  week  shall  nave  been  provided 
for  their  own  sisters;  if  it  could  be  double  that 
amount  they  would  be  glad.  We  wish  to  leave 
the  Tabernacle  in  good  working  order  when  our 
work  is  done ;  but  the  present  burden  might  prove 
far  too  heavy  for  our  successors;  indeed,  they 
ought  not  to  be  saddled  with  it.  In  future  years 
the  church  may  find  itself  barely  able  to  support 
its  own  expenses,  and  we  do  not  think  that  we  are 


i3<.       LIFE  AND  WORK'  OF  REV.  C.  II.  SFURGEOX. 

justified  in  leaving  it  the  legacy  of  so  heavy  a 
charge.  Our  present  anxiety  is  to  get  the  ship 
tight  and  trim,  and  this  is  one  of  the  matters 
which  is  not  in  a  satisfactory  condition.  Brethren, 
let  us  set  it  straight.  Our  aged  sisters  are  worthy 
of  all  that  we  can  do  for  them,  and  their  grateful 
faces  often  made  our  hearts  glad.  We  should  like 
to  see  more  alms-rooms,  and  we  hope  some  one 
will  build  and  endow  a  row  for  aged  men.  We 
have  had  a  hint  that  this  project  is  taking  shape 
in  the  mind  of  a  generous  friend ;  we  hope  he  will 
carry  it  out  in  his  own  lifetime,  rather  than  wait 
and  have  it  done  by  a  legacy. 

"The  pastor  generally  has  to  pay  for  the  gas, 
tiring,  &c,  from  his  own  pocket,  as  the  endow- 
ments are  so  scanty.  Part  of  the  principal  endow- 
ment was  left  for  repairs.  We  hope  that  in  later 
editions  of  this  history  to  be  able  to  cancel  this 
page,  and  announce  that  the  almshouses  are  amply 
provided  for." 


A  STORY  ABOUT  DR.  RIPPON.  131 


A  STORY  ABOUT  DR.  RIPPON. 

HPHE  following  story  is  told  by  Mr.  Spurgeon  of 
*  Dr.  Rippon  and  the  origin  of  the  almshouses: 
"Dr.  Rippon  once  said  he  had  some  of  the  best 
people  in  His  Majesty's  dominion  in  his  church, 
and  he  used  to  add  with  a  nod,  'and  some  of  the 
ivorst.'  Some  of  the  latter  class  seem  to  have  cot 
into  office  at  one  time,  for  they  were  evidently  a 
hindrance  rather  than  a  help  to  the  good  man, 
though  from  his  independent  way  of  doing  things 
the  hindrance  did  not  much  effect  him. 

"As  well  as  we  can  remember,  the  story  of  his 
founding  the  almshouses  and  schools  in  1803,  it 
runs  as  follows:  The  Doctor  urged  upon  the 
deacons  the  necessity  of  such  institutions;  they  do 
not  see  the  urgency  thereof;  he  pleads  again,  but 
like  the  deaf  adder,  they  are  not  to  be  charmed, 
charm  he  never  so  wisely.  'The  expense  will  be 
enormous,  and  the  money  cannot  be  raised,'  this 
was  the  unnecessary  croak  of  the  prudent  officers. 
At  length  the  pastor  says,  'The  money  can  be 
raised,  and  shall  be.  Why,  if  I  don't  go  out  next 
Monday   and    collect   $2,500   before   the    evening 


132      LIFE  AND  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  H.  SPURGEOX. 

meeting,  I'll  drop  the  proposal;  but  while  I  am 
sure  the  people  will  take  up  the  matter  heartily,  I 
will  not  be  held  back  by  you.'  Disputes  in  this 
case  were  urged  in  very  plain  language,  but  with 
no  degree  of  bitterness,  for  the  parties  knew  each 
other,  and  had  too  much  mutual  respect  to  make 
their  relationship  in  the  church  depend  upon  a 
point  of  difference.  All  were  agreed  to  put  the 
Doctor  to  the  test,  and  challenged  him  to  produce 
the  $2,500  next  Monday,  or  cease  to  importune 
about  almshouses.  The  worthy  slow-coaches  were 
up  to  time  on  the  appointed  evening,  and  the 
Doctor  soon  arrived.  'Well,  brethren,'  said  he, 
'I  have  succeeded  in  collecting  $1,500,  that  is  most 
encouraging-,  is  it  not?'  'But,'  said  two  or  three  of 
them  at  once,  in  a  hurry,  'You  said  you  would  get 
$2,500  next  Monday,  or  drop  the  matter,  and  we 
mean  for  you  to  keep  your  word.'  'By  all  means,' 
said  he,  'and  I  mean  to  keep  my  word,  too,  there  is 
$4,000  which  the  friends  gave  me  almost  without 
asking,  and  the  rest  is  nearly  all  promised.'  The 
prudent  officials  were  taken  aback,  but  recovering 
themselves,  they  expressed  their  great  pleasure, 
and  would  be  ready  to  meet  the  pastor  at  any  time 
and  arrange  for  the  expending  of  the  funds.  'No, 
no,   my  brethren,'  said   the  Doctor,  'I    shall   not 


A  STORY  ABOUT  DR.  RIPPON.  133 

need  your  services.  You  have  opposed  me  all 
along,  and  now  I  have  done  the  work  without  you, 
you  want  to  have  your  say  in  it  to  hinder  me  still, 
but  neither  you  nor  any  other  deacons  shall  plague 
a  minister  about  this  business.  So,  brethren,  you 
can  attend  to  something  else.'  Accordingly,  the 
old  trust  deed  of  the  almshouses  had  a  clause  to 
the  effect  that  the  pastor  shall  elect  the  pensioners, 
ino  deacon  interfering.'  The  present  pastor  had 
great  pleasure  in  inducing  the  Charity  Commis- 
sioners to  expunge  this  clause,  and  give  the  pastor 
and  deacons,  unitedly,  the  power  to  select  the 
objects  of  charity." 


134      LIFE  AND  WORK  OF  NEW  C.  If.  SPURGEON, 


THE  PASTORS'  COLLEGE.    ' 

r  I  ^HE  first  important  institution  commenced  by 
*  Mr.  Spurgeon  was  the  college.  "It  still 
remains  as  his  first  born  and  best  beloved."  The 
thought  that  inspired  Mr.  Spurgeon  to  undertake 
this  work  may  be  given  in  his  own  words:  "To 
train  ministers  of  the  gospel  is  a  most  excellent 
work,  and  when  the  Holy  Spirit  blesses  the  effort, 
the  result  is  of  the  utmost  importance  both  to  the 
church   and  to  the  world." 

The  Earl  of  Shaftesbury  thus  testifies  to  the 
question  of  the  service  rendered  by  the  Pastors' 
College,  and  as  to  the  character  of  the  preachers 
sent  forth  from  it  to  labor  for  Christ.  He  says: 
"It  was  an  utter  fallacy  to  suppose  that  the  people 
of  England  would  ever  be  brought  to  a  sense  of 
order  and  discipline  by  the  repetition  of  miserable 
services,  by  bits  of  wax  candle,  by  rags  of  Popery, 
and  by  gymnastics  in  the  chancel:  nothing  was 
adapted  to  meet  the  wants  of  the  people,  but  the 
gospel  message  brought  home  to  their  hearts,  and 
he  knew  of  none  who  had  done  better  service  in 
this  evangelistic   work  than  the   pupils  trained  in 


THE  PASTORS'  COLLEGE.  135 

Mr.  Spurgeon's  college.  They  had  a  singular 
faculty  for  addressing  the  population  and  going  to 
the  very  heart  of  the  people." 

At  first  the  college  occupied  a  piace  in  the  Tab- 
ernacle, but  the  time  came  for  it  to  have  a  build- 
ing of  its  own.  In  May,  1873,  a  friend  sent  Mr. 
Spurgeon  $5,000  for  this  object.  October  14, 
1873,  the  foundation  stone  of  the  new  building 
was  laid,  and  the  people  gave  $5,000,  the  students 
gave  $1,500,  and  undertook  to  raise  the  amount  to 
$5,000.  In  1874,  Messrs.  Cory  &  Sons,  of  Car- 
diff, sent  $5,000  worth  of  paid-up  shares  in  their 
colliery  company  to  Mr.  Spurgeon  for  the  college. 
At  this  time  a  legacy  was  left  by  Mr.  Matthews  of 
$25,000  for  the  college  building.  $15,000  was 
given  as  a  memorial  to  a  dear  and  lamented  hus- 
band, and  $10,000  was  a  legacy  to  the  college  from 
a  reader  of  the  sermons.  The  ministers  who  had 
formerly  been  students  helped  "in  a  princely 
fashion."  Large  contributions  were  made  by  the 
Tabernacle  congregation  on  occasions  when  they 
attended  the  college  by  invitation  of  the  president. 
"In  answer  to  prayer,"  he  writes,  "the  gold  and 
silver  have  been  ready  when  needed.  How  our 
hearts  exult  and  bless  the  name  of  the  Lord." 

The  new  buildings  were  "suitable  and  commo- 


136      LIFE  AXD  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  II.  SPURGEON. 

dious"  and  were  set  apart,  free  of  debt,  for  the  pur- 
pose for  which  they  were  erected  at  a  cost  of  $75,000. 
"Our  statistics,  which  are  far  from  being  com- 
pleted, show  that  these  brethren  [students  who 
have  gone  forth  from  the  college  to  preach  the 
gospel  at  home  and  abroad]  baptised  20,676  per- 
sons in  ten  years  (1865-1874)  that  the  gross 
increase  to  their  churches  was  30,677  and  the  net 
increase  19,498." 

Over  £3,000,  or  $15,000,  was  voluntarily  con- 
tributed during  the  month  from  April  15th  to  May 
14,  1888,  for  the  support  of  the  college,  mostly  in 
small  amounts.  "In  the  matter  of  funds,  we  have 
been  safely  carried  through  the  year  1888,"  says 
Mr.  Spurgeon,  "and  of  students  we  have  had  no 
lack." 

In  his  annual  address  at  the  close  of  the  college 
year  1-888,  the  president  says:  "During  another 
year  we  have  diligently  labored  on  in  the  Pastors' 
College,  and  have  found  pleasure  in  the  labor. 
The  Lord  has  been  mindful  of  us,  and  has  ac- 
cepted and  prospered  our  work.  It  is  more  easy 
to  think  out  and  deliver  twenty  lectures  than  to 
write  one  report.  The  fact  is,  there  is  nothing  to 
write  about,  so  long  as  all  goes  smoothly;  tutors 
are  in  health;  students  are  in  sound  working  order; 


THE  PASTORS'  COLLEGE.  137 

funds   come  in  regularly,  and  openings   are   found 
for  men  when  their  term   is  over." 

"From  the  commencement  of  the  college  we 
have  gone  upon  the  lines  of  definite  doctrine,  and 
we  have  left  no  question  as  to  what  the  doctrine  is. 
In  the  case  of  every  man  admitted  to  the  college,  a 
belief  in  sound  doctrines  has  been  a  chief  requisite. 
In  other  ways  our  witness  is  clear  enough,  and 
leaves  no  excuse  for  men  to  creep  in  among  us, 
and  steal  an  education  from  those  whose  doctrines 
they  detest.  The  Weekly  Sermon  has  spoken 
more  than  two  thousand  times,  and  its  voice  has 
not  been  yea  or  nay,  but  one  unvarying  testimony 
to  the  great  fundamentals  of  the  old  orthodox  faith. 
So  far  as  it  has  been  in  the  power  of  mortal  man, 
the  doctrines  of  grace  and  the  grand  teaching  of 
the  cross  have  been  inculcated  by  us  incessantly, 
in  the  pulpit  and  by  the  press,  in  the  church  and 
the  college.  Our  hope  and  belief  was  that  the 
ministers  who  went  forth  from  the  Pastors'  College 
would  remain  true  to  the  faith  once  delivered  to  the 
saints.  The  torrents  of  error  which  are  now  rush- 
ing around  the  foundations  of  the  church  are  so 
tremendous  that  we  could  not  expect  every  man  to 
stand.  Among  so  many,  there  would  unavoidably 
be  a  few  who  would  be  carried  off  their  feet,  and 


138      LIFE  AND  WORK  OF  REV.  C,  II.  SPURGEON, 

here  and  there  one  would  joyfully  commit  himself 
to  the  current,  because  he  had  always  been  waver- 
ing. The  testing  time  came.  We  will  not  repea 
the  details,  so  well  known  by  our  friends,  but  when 
the  crisis  was  past  we  found  ourselves  rejoicing, 
that  the  vast  majority  of  our  brethren  were  not 
only  firm,  but  enthusiastic  in  their  attachment  to 
the  old  truth.  It  was  heart-breaking  work  to  find 
a  few,  in  heart  and  speech,  bitterly  opposed;  but 
this  we  could  bear  more  easily  than  to  find  good 
men  and  true  siding  with  those  whose  errors  they 
disavowed.  They  desire  to  be  in  fellowship  with 
those  whose  wanderings  they  deplored.  Of  course, 
this  meant  that  they  would  sooner  part  from  the 
orthodox  many  than  quit  the  heterodox  few,  though 
they  could  greatly  have  preferred  that  the  alter- 
native had  never  been  proposed  to  them.  These 
brethren  we  conceive  to  be  following  a  verv  wrong 
course  in  this  matter;  but  it  is  a  great  comfort  to  us  to 
hope  that  they  themselves  are  preaching  the  gospel, 
and  earnest  in  their  hope  that  others  may  be  brought 
back  to  do  the  same.  Still,  our  conference  roll  has 
been  shortened,  but  we  can  hardly  tell  how  much; 
for  even  up  to  the  hour  of  writing,  brethren  are 
returning  to  us.  In  a  little  while  the  mist  will  roll 
away,  we  shall  know  each  other  better,  and  be 
knit  together  in  a  surer  union  than  ever. 


THE  PASTORS'  COLLEGE.  139 

"To  us  it  was  imperative  necessity  that  we  should 
have  no  fellowship  with  Universalists  and  other 
parties  of  the  new  school  of  doctrine ;  and  at  a 
painful  cost,  deliverance  has  been  wrought  for 
those  in  our  conference  who  cannot  side  with  the 
false  doctrine.  The  bolder  utterances  and  firmer 
faith  of  those  who  remain  true  believers  in  the 
vicarious  sacrifice,  make  up  a  grand  set-off"  against 
the  loss  which  we  have  sustained.  Henceforth  we 
have  one  faith  as  well  as  one  Lord  and  one  bap- 
tism. A  sense  of  freedom  from  an  alien  element 
restores  a  confidence  in  each  other  which  was 
beginning  to  depart  from  us.  What  we  need  is  a 
new  anointing  from  on  high.  Oh,  that  we  may 
receive  it  during  the  conference  gathering  of  this 
year!  Come,  Holy  Spirit,  and  baptize  us  anew 
into  thyself,  and  into  fire!" 

Mr.  Spurgeon  evidently  refers  to  the  Down 
Grade  Controversy. 

In  the  summary  of  results  in  the  annual  report 
of  the  college  for  1890,  we  find  the  following; 

"During  the  thirty-four  years  of  our  existence 
as  a  school  of  prophets,  eight  hundred  and  twenty- 
eight  men,  exclusive  of  those  at  piesent  studying 
with  us,  have  been  received  into  the  college,  'of 
whom    the   greater  part   remain    unto  this   present, 


140      LIFE  AND  WORK'  OF  REV.  C.  II.  SPURGEON. 

but  some  (seventy-two)  are  fallen  asleep.'  Making 
all  deductions,  there  are  now  in  the  work  of  the 
Lord,  in  some  department  or  other  of  useful  ser- 
vice, about  six  hundred  and  seventy-three  breth- 
ren. Of  these,  six  hundred  and  seven  are  in  our 
own  denomination,  as  pastors,  missionaries,  and 
evangelists."  The  work  of  the  college  has  for 
many  years  been  adopted  by  the  church  at  the 
Tabernacle  as  its  own.  The  accounts  are  exam- 
ined with  the  accounts  of  the  church,  by  auditors 
chosen  by  the  church,  and  are  read  and  passed  at 
the  annual  church  meeting  in  the  beginning  of  the 
year. 

Mr.  C.  H.  Spurgeon,  the  president,  in  his  annual 
address  for  1890,  says:  "Under  certain  aspects, 
the  work  of  Aquila  and  Priscilla,  in  teaching 
young  Apollos  the  way  of  God  more  perfectly,  is 
of  greater  weight  than  the  eloquent  service  of 
Apollos,  which  followed  thereupon.  To  fashion 
the  image  is  something;  but  to  form  the  moulds, 
in  which  many  images  may  be  cast,  is  far  more. 
He  who  converts  a  soul,  draws  water  from  the 
fountain;  but  he  who  trains  a  soul-winner  digs  a 
well,  from  which  thousands  may  drink  to  life 
eternal.  Hence  we  feel  our  work  among  our 
students  to  be  the  most  responsible  to  which  we 


THE   PASTORS'   COLLEGE.  141 

have  put  our  hands.  *  *  One  touch  of  wrong 
doctrine,  one  smear  of  ill-example,  one  ill-judged 
finger-mark  of  unwise  advice,  and  the  vessel  will 
be  marred  upon  the  wheel;  and,  what  is  worse, 
will,  as  the  result,  be  injured  in  all  its  future 
uses 

"Conscious  of  this,  even  to  a  painful  degree,  our 
appeal  is  to  the  people  of  God  to  pray  for  us,  and 
all  trainers  of  the  rising  ministry,  that  we  may  be 
taught  of  God,  and  instructed  ourselves  while 
instructing  otheis.  As  pastors  we  hope  to  have 
the  prayers  of  the  flock,  but  as  trainers  of  pastors 
how  few  pray  for  us!  Much  better  work  would 
have  been  done  if  there  had  been  more  prayer  for 
tutors  and  students.  In  our  own  case,  our  many 
other  labors  prevent  that  concentration  of  every 
faculty  upon  the  one  wor'..  v/hich  would  be  so  great 
a  help  to  success;  hence,  above  all  other  presidents 
of  colleges,  our  need  is  aggravated  by  a  supremacy 
of  necessity.  If  the  Lord  help  us  not,  we  are  in  a 
solemn  case,  and  our  responsibility  will  utterly 
sink  us." 

Rev.  James  A.  Spurgeon,  vice-president  of  the 
college,  says  in  his  report:  "The  moral  tone  of 
our  college  is  good,  and  the  spiritual  life  vigorous." 

The  Evangelists'  Association  is  another  of 


142      LIFE  AXD  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  II.  SPURGE  OX. 

the  important  institutions  connected  with  the  Metro- 
politan Tabernacle  church,  or  rather  with  the 
pastors'  college.  It  is  but  newly  formed  and  is  at 
work  in  halls,  lodging  houses,  on  street  corners, 
the  Tabernacle  steps,  etc. 

Services  are  held  in  the  form  of  evangelistic 
meetings  in  the  Tabernacle  almshouses,  and  in 
various  chapels  and  in  the  Tabernacle  itself.  The 
society  sends  brethren  to  any  church  needing  tem- 
porary assistance.  The  annual  income  is  about 
$5,000.  The  labors  of  the  brethren  in  their  meet- 
ings, which  are  not  confined  to  London,  have  been 
very  successful. 

There  are  in  connection  with  the  pastors'  college 
several  organizations  among  the  students  for 
Christian  work,  for  example :  "The  Pastors'  Col- 
lege Missionary  Association,"  which  appears  to 
be  a  foreign  missionary  society,  maintaining  its  first 
missionary  in  Morocco  among  the  Moors  in  con- 
nection with  the  North  African  Mission.  Mr. 
Spurgeon  remarks,  "Our  hope  is  that  this  sapling 
may  grow  into  a  great  tree."' 


PASTORS"   COLLEGE  CONFERENCE.  143 


PASTORS'    COLLEGE    CONFERENCE. 

ONCE  a  year  the  students  and  graduates  of  the 
college  meet  in  conference  at  the  Tabernacle, 
where  the}'  are  generously  entertained  by  their 
friends.  The  graduates  come  from  their  various 
fields  of  labor  in  every  part  of  the  world,  and  spend 
a  week  together  "in  holy  fellowship,  prayer,  and 
intercourse."'  By  this  means  great  encouragement 
is  given  to  them  in  their  work. 

We  give  some  extracts  from  the  address  of  Mr. 
Spurgeon,  made  at  the  Conference  of  the  Pastors' 
College,  in  April,  1890. 

It  is  entitled, "The  Minister  in  these  Times." 
"Beloved  brethren,  I  deeply  feel  the  responsi- 
bility of  addressing  you  on  this  occasion.  *  *  * 
My  first  duty  is  to  salute  each  one  in  the  name  of 
our  gracious  Lord,  who  has  spared  us  to  meet 
again.  *  *  *  Brothers,  we  long  to  hear  you 
tell  of  what  the  Lord  has  done  for  you.  I  think 
of  you  as  I  knew  you  in  your  college  days ;  but,  lo ! 
instead  of  raven  hair,  I  see  silver  locks;  and  the 
beardless  chin  is  adorned  with  a  flowing  glory  of 
hair.     It  was  most  sweet,  this  morning,  to  hear  a 


144      LIFE  AND  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  II.  SPURGEON. 

young  man  pray,  and  then  to  remember,  as  he  led 
us  to  the  throne  of  grace,  that  his  father,  twenty 
years  ago,  stood  among  us  in  a  like  capacity. 

"Coming  to  my  address,  I  want  to  say  something 
suitable  for  the  times.  I  have  never,  according  to 
the  current  phrase,  spoken  to  the  times;  but  yet,  ] 
would  speak  for  the  times,  believing  that  a  timely 
word  may  bless  all  times  to  come. 

"First;  let  us  reflect  on  Our  Lord's  Position 
towards  us.  Here  we  have  many  points  which 
must  be  told  by  maintenance  in  our  preaching.  Be 
assured  that  we  cannot  be  right  in  the  rest,  unless 
we  think  rightly  of  Him.  In  forming  3-011  r  system 
of  astrononw,  where  do  you  put  the  sun?  If  you 
are  not  clear  on  that  cardinal  matter,  3-our  scheme 
will  be  a  failure.  If  3'ou  have  not  found  out  the 
true  'tabernacle  for  the  sun,'  I  am  not  very  partic- 
ular as  to  where  3'ou  put  Mars  or  Jupiter.  Where 
is  Christ  in  370ur  theological  system? 

"Many  are  the  aspects  under  which  we  must 
regard  our  divine  Lord,  but  I  must  alwa}3  give  the 
greatest  prominence  to  his  saving  character  as 
Christ,  our  Sacrifice  and  Sin-bearer.  If  ever  there 
was  a  time  when  we  should  be  clear,  pronounced 
and  vehement  upon  this  point,  it  is  now.  *  *  To 
attempt  to  preach   Christ  without  His  cross  is  to 


.      PASTORS'  COLLEGE  CONFERENCE.  145 

betray  Him  with  a  kiss.  I  observe  that  certain 
persons  claim  to  believe  in  the  atonement,  but  they 
will  not  say  what  they  mean  by  it.  May  this  not 
mean  that  really  they  have  no  clear  knowledge  of 
it,  and  possibly  no  real  faith  in  it?  *  *  Robert- 
son, of  Brington,  was  orthodox  compared  with 
many  in  this  advanced  age;  but  one  said  of  him 
that  he  taught  that  our  Lord  did  something  or 
other,  which  in  some  way  or  other  was  more  or 
less  connected  with  our  salvation.  Flimsy  as  that 
was,  it  is  bettei  than  the  doctrine  of  this  hour. 
Some  now  think  it  absurd  to  believe  that  what  was 
done  at  Calvary  nineteen  centuries  ago  can  have 
any  relation  to  the  sins  of  to-day.  Others,  who 
speak  not  quite  so  wildly,  yet  deny  that  our  sins 
could  be  laid  on  the  Lord  Jesus,  and  that  His 
righteousness  could  be  imputed  to  us;  this,  they 
say,  would  be  immoral.  The  ethical  side  of  the 
atonement  is  frequently  held,  and  beautifully  and 
strictly  shown  to  the  people ;  but  we  are  not  satis- 
fied with  this  one-sided  view  of  the  great  subject. 
Whatever  may  be  the  shadow  of  the  atonement — 
by  which  we  mean  its  ethical  influence — we  believe 
that  there  was  a  substance  in  the  atonement,  and  if 
that  substance  be  removed,  the  shadow  is  gone 
also.     We    have    no   home-made    theory ;    but  our 


146      LIFE  AND  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  //.  SPURGEON. 

solemn  witness  is,  that  '  He  His  own  self  bore  our 
sins  in  His  own  body  on  the  tree.'  Even  if  it  be 
called  immoral,  as  some  have  impudently  asserted, 
we  yet  believe  that  '  He  has  made  Him  to  be  sin 
for  us  who  knew  no  sin,  that  we  might  be  made 
the  righteousness  of  God  in  Him.'  'The  chastise- 
ment  of  our  peace  was  upon  Him;'  for  'the  Lord 
hath  laic,  on  Him  the  iniquity  of  us   all.' 

"Those  who  set  aside  the  atonement  as  a  satis- 
faction for  sin,"  continues  Mr.  Spurgeon,  "also 
murder  the  doctrine  of  justification  by  faith.  * 
Modern  thought  is  nothing  more  than  an  attempt 
to  bring  back  the  legal  sysfem  of  salvation  by 
works.  Our  battle  is  the  same  as  that  which 
Luther  fought  at  the  reformation.  If  you  go  to 
the  very  ground  and  root  of  it,  grace  is  taken 
away,  and  human  merit  is  substituted.  The  gra- 
cious act  of  God  in  pardoning  sin  is  excluded,  and 
human  effort  is  made  all  m  all,  both  for  past  sin 
and  future  hope.  Every  man  is  now  his  own 
savior,  and  the  atonement  is  shelved  as  a  pious 
fraud.  I  will  not  foul  my  mouth  with  the  unworthy 
phrases  which  have  been  used  in  reference  to  the 
substitutionary  work  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  but 
it  is  a  sore  grief  of  heart  to  note  how  these  evil 
things    are    tolerated  by   men    whom    we    respect. 


PASTORS'   COLLEGE  CONFERENCE  147 

We  should  not  cease,  dear  brethren,  in  our  preach- 
ing, most  definitely  and  decidedly  to  preach  the 
atoning  sacrifice;  and  I  will  tell  you  why  I  shall 
be  sure  to  do  so.  I  have  not  personally  a  shadow 
of  a  hope  of  salvation  from  any  other  quarter;  I 
am  lost  if  Jesus  be.  not  my  substitute. 

"In  the  next  place,  let  us  see  to  it  that  we  set 
forth  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  as  the  infallible  Teacher, 
through  his  inspired  word  1  do  not  understand 
that  loyalty  to  Christ  which  is  accompanied  by  in- 
difference to  his  words.  *  *  *  Some  quit  the 
teaching  of  Christ  out  of  mere  wantonness,  and 
childish  love  of  novelty.  To  younger  brethren, 
false  doctrine  comes  as  an  infantile  disease — a  sort 
of  inevitable  spiritual  measels.  I  wish  them  well 
through  with  the  disorder,  and  I  trust  it  will  leave 
nothing  bad  behind  it.  With  deep  anxiety,  I  have 
watched  over  minds  inflected  with  this  raging  epi- 
demic, and  I  have  rejoiced  as  I  have  seen  the  rash 
of  unbelief  come  out  beautifully,  and  have  heard 
the  patient  say,  'Thank  God,  I  shall  never  go  back 
to  that  any  more  '  Still,  it  is  a  pity  that  so  many 
should  find  it  needful  to  traverse  the  foul  way 
which  has  bemired  others. 

"Some  fall  into  doubt  through  an  inward  crook- 
edness.     Certain  men  start  new  doctrines  because 


148      LIFE  AND  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  If.  SPURGEON. 

there  is  'something  rotten  in  the  State  of  Den- 
mark,' and  out  of  rottenness  fungoid  growths 
must  come.  You  may  have  read  Pliny's  'Natural 
History.'  If  you  have  not  read  it,  you  need  not  do 
so,  for  the  history  is  not  generally  natural,  but  fabu- 
lous. Pliny  tells  us  that  when  the  elephant  goes 
to  a  pond  of  water  and  sees  himself  in  it,  he  is 
moved  with  such  disgust  of  his  own  ugliness,  that 
he  straightway  stirs  the  water  and  makes  it  muddy ; 
that  he  may  not  see  himself.  Such  an  elephant 
never  lived,  but  I  have  seen  men  who  have  been 
comparable  to  it.  Holy  Scripture  has  not  agreed 
with  them,  so  much  the  worse  for  Holy  Scripture! 
Such  and  such  doctrines  do  not  suit  their  tastes, 
and  so  they  must  be  misrepresented  or  denied.  An 
unregenerate  heart  lies  at  the  bottom  of  'modern 
thought.'  Men  are  down-grade  in  doctrine, 
because  they  were  never  put  up-grade  by  the 
renewal  of  their  minds. 

"Some,  I  doubt  not,  have  tinkered  up  Christ's 
teachings,  and  Christ's  gospel,  from  a  desire  to  do 
more  good.  *  *  If  we  think  that  we  shall  do 
more  good  by  substituting  another  exhotration  for 
the  gospel  command,  we  shall  find  ourselves 
landed  in  serious  difficulties.  If,  for  a  moment, 
our  improvements  seem  to  produce  a  larger  result 


PASTORS'  COLLEGE  CONFERENCE.  149 

than  the  oW  gospel,  it  will  be  the  growth  of  mush- 
rooms, it  may  even  be  the  growth  of  toadstools; 
but  is  not  the  growth  of  trees  of  the  Lord. 

"Worse  still  will  it  be  if  we  dare  to  make 
omissions  in  the  known  rules  of  Christ.  *  *  * 
There  are  disputes  in  the  church  as  to  baptism  and 
the  Lord's  Supper.  How,  then,  can  these  ordi- 
nances be  set  aside  by  those  who  admit  that  they 
are  scriptural?  I  heard  of  one  saying,  'If  Jesus 
were  here  now  he  would  see  the  evil  that  has  come 
of  these  two  institutions,  and  would  set  them  aside.' 
We  cannot  endure  such  a  sentence.  Surely,  we 
are  not  revisers  of  the  teachings  and  the  doings  of 
our  Lord.  *  *  *  We  must  protest  against  all 
tampering  with  the  law  of  the  great  Head  of  the 
Church. 

"Let  us  turn  our  earnest  attention,"  Mr.  Spur- 
geon  goes  on  to  say,  "to  the  subject  of  Our  Posi- 
tion Towards  Our  Lord.  The  position  of  the 
Christian  minister  towards  Christ  is  a  theme  upon 
which  one  might  speak  in  many  ways,  and  for 
many  a  day,  and  yet  barely  do  more  than  touch 
the  fringe  of  it. 

"As  He  stood  in  our  stead,  we  also  stand  in  Jus 
stead ;  and  that  will  prevent  partiality.  *  *  * 
If  we  be  in  Christ's  stead,  we  shall  not  bully,  but 


150     LIFE  AND  WORK'  OF  REV.  C.  II.  SPURGEON. 

tenderly  persuade.  *  *  '::'  We  must  love  sinners 
fox  Christ's  sake.  Are  there  not  a  great  many  in 
your  congregations  whom  you  could  not  love  for 
an}-  other  reason?  Could  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ 
ever  have  loved  vou  for  your  merit's  sake?  Fur- 
ther, '"'  ""'  *  fill  up  that  which  is  behind  of  the 
sufferings  of  Christ  for  his  body's  sake  which  is  the 
church.  All  the  martyr  host  have  bled  and  died 
to  keep  the  truth  alive  for  us,  that  by  the  truth  men 
may  still  be  brought  to  Jesus.  Every  sufferer  who 
bears  pain,  or  slander,  or  loss,  or  personal  unkind- 
ness,  for  Christ's  sake,  is  filling  up  that  amount 
of  suffering  which  is  necessary  to  the  bringing 
together  of  the  whole  body  of  Christ  and  the  up- 
building of  his  elect  church. 

"The  greatest  earthly  blessing  that  God  can  give 
to  any  of  us  is  health,  with  the  exception  of  sickness. 
Sickness  has  frequently  been  of  more  use  to  the 
saints  of  God  than  health.  If  some  men  that  I 
know  of  could  only  be  favored  with  a  month  of 
rheumatism,  it  would  mellow  them  marvelously, 
by  God's  grace. 

"He  shall  do  10 ell  to  stand  towards  Christ  as  those 
who  are  conscious  of  his  favor  and  presence. 
Some   preachers  evidently   do  not  believe  that  the 
Lord   is   with    their    gospel,   because,   in    order   to 


PASTORS'  COLLEGE  CONFERENCE.  151 

attract  and  save  sinners,  their  gospel  is  insufficient, 
and  they  have  to  add  to  it  inventions  of  men. 
Plain  gospel  preaching  must  be  supplemented,  so 
they  think.  *  *  A  man  said  to  me:  '\ou  told 
a  dead  sinner  to  believe.'  I  pleaded  guilty,  but 
told  him  I  would  do  it  again.  I  do  not  trust  in  the 
dead  sinner's  power  to  live,  but  in  the  power  of 
the  gospel  to  make  him  live.  Now  if  your  gospel 
has  not  the  power  of  the  Holy  Ghost  in  it,  you 
cannot  preach  it  with  confidence,  and  you  are 
tempted  to  have  a  performance  in  the  school-room 
to  allure  the  people  whom  Christ  crucified  does 
not  draw.  If  you  are  depending  on  sing-song 
and  fiddles  and  semi-theatricals,  you  are  disgracing 
the  religion  which  you  pretend  to  honor." 

In  concluding  this  admirable  address  to  the 
students,  pastors  and  missionaries  present,  Mr. 
Spurgeon  exhorted  them  lastly  to  be  confident  in 
spirit.  He  remarked:  "We  are  not  going  to  show 
the  white  feather,  not  even  to  tolerate  a  trembling 
thought.  Years  ago,  they  used  to  charge  me  with 
being  too  flippant  and  jocose;  but  of  late  the  charge 
has  shifted,  and  I  am  reviled  as  despondent,  bilious 
and  nervous.  I  conceive  that  my  innocence  is 
clear.  Have  you  read  'The  Salt-Cellars,'  written 
by  a  morose  person  who  never  smiled,  who  is  a 


152      LIFE  AND  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  H.  SPURGEON, 

passionate  alarmist  dreaming  of  awful  catastrophies 
which  never  occur?  The  description  must  have  been 
originally  meant  for  some  onv,  else.  I  protest  that 
I  am  quite  as  merry  as  may  be  fit.  *  *  *  There 
is  no  room  to  fear;  at  least,  I  see  none,  while  we 
hold  fast  to  the  truth.  .You  never  met  an  old  salt, 
down  by  the  sea,  who  was  in  trouble  because  the 
tide  had  been  ebbing  out  for  hours.  No!  He  waits 
confidently  for  the  turn  of  the  tide,  and  it  comes  in 
due  time.  Yonder  rock  has  been  uncovered  during 
the  last  half  hour,  and  if  the  sea  continues  to  ebb 
out  for  weeks  there  will  bk-  no  water  in  the  Eng- 
lish  channel,  and  the  French  will  walk  over  from 
Cherbourg.  Nobody  talks  in  that  childish  way, 
for  such  an  ebb  will  never  come.  Nor  will  we 
speak  as  though  the  gospel  would  be  routed,  and 
eternal  truth  driven  out  of  the  land.  We  serve  an 
Almighty  Master." 


THE  STOCKWELL   ORPHANAGE. 


THE  STOCK  WELL  ORPHANAGE.  153 


THE  STOCKWELL  ORPHANAGE. 

IN  1866  Mr.  Spurgeon  received  a  letter  from  Mrs. 
*  Hilly ard,  a  lady  then  unknown  to  him,  "a  de- 
voted sister  in  the  Lord,"  suggesting  an  orphanage 
for  fatherless  boys,  and  saying  she  had  put  aside 
$100,000  for  this  purpose.  The  scheme  being  thus 
providentially,  as  Mr.  Spurgeon  properly  regarded 
it,  thrust  upon  him,  he  had  nothing  to  do  but  to 
make  it  a  part  of  his  work. 

Two-and-a-half  acres  of  ground  were  purchased 
in  Stockwell,  in  Clapham  Road,  in  January>  1867, 
and  the  design  was  to  proceed  to  build  at  once, 
but  a  financial  panic  occurred  which  prevented. 
But  the  delay  resulted  in  good,  and  though  they 
could  not  even  pay  for  the  ground  they  had 
bought,  the  result  was  a  larger  endowment  for  the 
orphanage  and  a  start  upon  a  far  better  basis 
eventually. 

"The  scheme  of  the  orphanage  proposed,  in 
the  language  of  Mr.  Spurgeon,  "to  do  away  with 
all  voting  and  canvassing,  with  the  wasteful  expen- 
diture necessitated  thereby,  and  also  to  form  the 
orphans    into    large  families,    instead    of    massing 


i54       I-IFE  AND  IVOR  A'  OF  REV.  C.  //.  SPURGEOA  . 

them  together  upon  the  work-house  system.  This 
last  idea  was  convenient  for  the  raising  of  money, 
for  it  enabled  us  to  propose  that  individual  donors 
should  each  give  the  amount  to  build  a  house,  and 
at  the  same  time  we  appealed  to  the  Christian 
public  for  the  means  to  pay  for  the  land  and  the 
buildings,  which  would  be  needed  for  the  common 
use  of  all  the  orphans,  such  as  dining-hall,  school- 
room, etc.  We  carried  this  matter  before  the  Lord 
in  prayer  and  looked  up,  and  we  beg  the  reader  to 
follow  the  entries  in  the  Sivord  and  Trow  el  ^  and 
mark  the  goodness  of  God. 

"June,  1867. — The  Lord  is  beginning  to  appear 
for  us  in  the  matter  of  the  orphanage;  but,  as  yet, 
He  has  not  opened  the  windows  of  heaven  as  we 
desire  and  expect.  We  wait  in  prayer  and  faith. 
We  need  no  less  than  $50,000  to  erect  the  build- 
ings, and  it  will  come;  for  the  Lord  will  answer  the 
prayer  of  faith.  One  esteemed  friend,  Mr.  George 
Moore,  of  Bow  Churchyard,  has,  with  spontane- 
ous generosity,  sent  $1,250.  Three  friends  have 
offered  $250  each,  in  the  hope  that  seventeen  others 
will  give  the  same. 

"July,  1867. — We  have  been  waiting  upon  the 
Lord  in  faith  and  prayer  concerning  the  orphanage, 
but  he  is  pleased  at  present  to  try  us.     We  have  no 


THE  STOCKWELL  ORPHANAGE.  155 

object  in  view  but  the  glory  of  God  and  the  instruc- 
tion of  fatherless  boys  in  the  ways  of  the  Lord. 

"We  have  engaged  a  sister  to  receive  the  first 
four  orphans  into  her  own  hired  house  until  the 
orphanage  is  ready.  One  beloved  friend,  the 
original  donor,  has  given  her  plate  to  be  sold  for 
this  object. 

"August,  1867. — Let  the  facts,  which  with  grati- 
tude we  record  this  month,  strengthen  the  faith  of 
believers.  In  answer  to  many  fervent  prayers,  the 
Lord  has  moved  his  people  to  send  in  during  the 
last  month,  in  different  amounts,  towards  the  gen- 
eral funds  of  the  orphanage,  the  sum  of  $5,000, 
for  which  we  give  thanks  unto  the  name  of  the 
Lord. 

"More  especially  do  we  see  the  gracious  hand 
of  God  in  the  following  incident:  A  lady,  who 
has  often  aided  in  the  way  of  the  college,  having 
been  spared  to  see  the  twenty-fifth  anniversary  of 
her  marriage-day,  her  beloved  husband  presented 
her  with  $2,500  as  a  token  of  his  ever  growing 
love  to  her.  Our  sister  has  called  upon  us,  and 
dedicated  the  $2,500  to  the  building  of  one  of  the 
houses,  to  be  called  The  Silver  Wedding  House. 

"A  brother,  beloved,  called  upon  us  on  a  cer- 
tain business,  and  when  he  retired  left  in  a  sealed 


156      LIFE  AND  WORK'  OF  REV.  C.  II.  SPURGEOX. 

envelope  the  sum  of  $3,000,  to  be  expended  in 
erecting  another  house.  This  donation  was  as  little 
expected  as  the  first,  except  that  our  faith  expects 
that  all  our  needs  will  be  supplied  in  the  Lord's 
own  way.  The  next  day,  when  preaching  in  the 
open  air,  an  unknown  sister  put  an  envelope  into 
my  hand,  enclosing  $100  for  the  college  and  an- 
other $100  for  the  orphanage.  'What  has  God 
wrought?  '  " 

The  Sword  and  Troivcl,  for  September,  1867, 
records  the  laying  of  the  first  stones  of  four  orphan 
houses:  The  Silver  Wedding  House,  by  C.  H.  S. ; 
The  Merchants'  House,  by  Mrs.  Hillyard;  Work- 
man's House,  by  William  Higgs ;  and  Unity  House, 
by  Thomas  Olney,  senior  deacon  of  the  Taberna- 
cle Church.  At  the  close  of  the  day,  $11,000  had 
been  handed  in;  so  that  the  land  had  been  pur- 
chased, and  the  four  houses  provided  for,  without 
touching  Mrs.  Hillyard 's  gift. 

"Thus  far,"  writes  Mr.  Spurgeon,  "was  the 
faithfulness  of  God  in  answering  prayer  tried  and 
proved.  After  the  meeting  a  storm  came  on  and 
carried  away  the  wooden  hall  in  which  the  meet- 
ing had  been  held,  but  the  mercy  was  that  this 
had  not  happened  when  we  were  all  assembled  in 
it.     The    damage    was    done    when    no    one   was 


THE  STOCK-WELL  ORPLIANAGE.  157 

injured,    and,     through     the     sympathy     which    it 
evoked,  it  was  a  gain  to  the  fund." 

We  return  to  the  records  in  the  Sword  and 
Trowel. 

"January,  1868,  the  noble  sum  of  $5,000  was 
brought  us  by  an  unknown  gentleman  towards  the 
erection  of  two  other  houses. 

"March,  1868. — Received  $10,000  from  A.  B., 
an  unknown  friend,  $5,000  of  it  for  the  college 
and  $5,000  for  the  orphanage.  We  call  upon  our 
friends  to  magnify  the  Lord  for  this  amazing 
instance  of  this  grace.  How  base  a  thing  is  unbe- 
lief, and  how  largely  does  the  Lord  honor  his 
servants'  faith?  The  note  which  attended  this 
munificent  gift,  proves  it  to  be  from  the  same 
donor  who  gave  the  $5,000  a  few  weeks  ago.  We 
have  feared  that  the  orphanage  might  impoverish 
the  college;  see,  dear  readers,  how  graciously  the  . 
Lord  rebukes  this  unbelieving  fear! 

"April,  1868. — We  are  proceeding  at  the  Stock- 
well  orphanage  with  the  school-room,  dining-room, 
master's  house,  four  dwelling  houses,  and  the  shell 
of  tnree  other  houses." 

On  the  first  of  June,  1868,  the  Baptist  churches 
in  England  presented  to  Mr.  Spurgeon  $6,000  as  a 
testimonial,    which    was     afterwards     increased    to 


158      LIFE  AND  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  II.  SPURGEON. 

$8,800.  Mr.  Spurgeon  declined  to  accept  this 
money  for  himself,  but  thankfully  received  it  for 
the  orphanage,  and  two  more  houses  called  the 
Testimonial  Houses  were  built  with  it. 

On  his  birth-day,  June  19,  1868,  Mr.  Spurgeon 
received  "the  tenderest  tokens  of  the  love  of  our 
[his]  dear  flock."  Mr.  Thomas  Olney  and  the 
"huge  Sunday-school,  gathered  around  the  first 
stone  of  the  house  they  are  to  build,  and  the  songs 
and  shouts  made  us  all  cheerfully  remember  our 
youth."  The  past  and  present  students  also 
resolved  to  build  a  house  as  a  token  of  love.  Mrs. 
Spurgeon  was  requested  by  the  ministers  and  stu- 
dents of  the  college  to  lay  the  first  stone  of  the 
College  House.  Mrs.  Spurgeon,  though  an  invalid, 
was  enabled  to  comply  with  the  request. 

After  the  stone-laying  was  over,  twenty-six 
sweet  little  girls  in  white  advanced,  one  by  one, 
and  presented  Mrs.  Spurgeon  with  purses,  which 
their  parents  had  subscribed  as  a  token  of  their 
affectionate  rejoicing  at  her  restoration  and  her 
presence. 

All  the  buildings  were  finished  by  the  close  of 
1869,  at  a  cost  of  $51,000,  and  were  entirely  free  of 
debt.  An  infirmary,  bath  and  laundry  were  soon 
added,   and   some  of   the  houses  elevated  another 


THE  STOCKWELL  ORPHANAGE.  159 

story,  for  all  of  which  the  Lord  graciously  sup- 
plied the  means. 

Mr.  Spurgeon  writes  in  the  Metropolitan  Taber- 
nacle History  : 

"With  240  children,  we  now  need  $25,000  per 
annum;  we  have  constantly  received  it,  and  we 
always  shall.  The  endowments  of  the  institution 
are  now  valued  at  $150,000,  and  will,  we  hope, 
increase  till  all  the  expenditures  will  be  supplied, 
and  we  shall  be  free  to  go  on  to  a  girl's  orphanage, 
which  we  have  long  contemplated.  This  story 
flows  on  swimmingly,  but  there  have  been  many 
trials  of  faith  in  the  matter,  and  these  continue,  so 
far  as  the  daily  expenditure  is  concerned." 

In  the  very  midst  of  this  great  work,  in  Decem- 
ber, 1869,  when  Mr.  Spurgeon  was  "wanted  in  a 
thousand  places,"  he  was  laid  aside  by  a  sudden 
attack  of  small  pox.  But  he  could  pray,  and  he 
did,  especially  for  the  orphanage  and  the  college. 
Within  a  few  hours,  a  friend,  knowing  nothing  of 
Mr.  Spurgeon's  affliction,  left  $2,500  at  his  door, 
for  the  orphanage,  and  a  few  days  later  $5,000 
were  sent  by  mail.  Mr.  Spurgeon  remarks  that 
then  he  left  all  with  the  Lord. 

Mr.  Spurgeon  continues  his  memoranda,  from 
which  we  give  extracts: 


160     LIFE  AND  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  H.  SPURGE  ON, 

"February,  187 1. — Some  little  time  ago,  our 
friend,  Mr.  Bath,  who  often  aids  the  orphanage, 
gave  us  six  dozen  bunches  of  turnips,  and  merrily 
added,  'I  hope  some  one  will  send  you  the  mutton.' 
About  an  hour  after  a  farmer  sent  a  whole  sheep; 
so  the  mutton  and  turnips  were  both  on  the  spot. 

"A  lady  friend  and  the  young  ladies  of  her 
school  had  sent  up  to  1876  the  large  number  of 
of  2,590  shirts  for  the  boys. 

"Julv,  1872. — We  have  again  to  sing  of  mercy. 
No  sooner  was  the  empty  state  of  our  orphanage 
exchequer  made  known  to  our  faithful  friends  than 
the  Lord  inclined  their  hearts  to  send  the  neces- 
sary aid.  This  is  a  distinct  answer  to  prayer,  for 
other  charities  have  been  in  the  same  condition 
and  have  made  many  urgent  appeals  without  evok- 
ing the  reply  which  they  desired. 

"So  prompt  and  generous  have  been  the  respon- 
ses of  our  loving  helpers,  that  after  paying  $1,500 
for  the  demands  of  the  month,  we  have  still  $6,000 
in  hand — a  marvellous  change,  indeed,  from  an 
actual  deficit  of  $450,  and   all  within   a  few  days. 

"Dec,  1873. — All  bills  paid,  but  only  $15  left. 
Prayer  went  to  work  at  once,  and  results  followed. 
*  *  *  More  than  200  boys  to  feed,  and  £3  in 
hand!     'The  Lord  will  provide.'     From  the  date 


THE  STOCK  WELL  ORPHANAGE.  161 

above  mentioned  we  have  lived  on ;  *  *  *  it  is 
very  sweet  to  see  how  the  Lord  provides.  A  friend 
in  Sweden  sends  us  help,  and  another  from  Bel- 
gium. A  young  man  sends  6s.  6d.,  being  three 
pence  per  week  of  his  first  wages.  Another,  with 
a  large  family,  offers  some  potatoes  and  turnips, 
and  remarks  that  since  he  has  given  to  the  orphan- 
age he  has  been  much  the  gainer  by  improved 
crops.  A  donor  who  is  accustomed  to  store  weekly 
for  the  Lord,  speaks  of  the  plan  as  greatly  bene- 
ficial. One  who  sends  a  considerable  donation, 
says:  'I  never  make  a  cheque  for  you  without 
feeling  very  sorry  that  I  cannot  make  it  ten  times 
as  much.' 

"June,  1874. — The  funds  for  the  orphanage  ran 
completely  dry  on  May  8,  and  drove  us  to  plead 
with  God  for  replenishments.  The  answer  was 
immediate  and  sufficient.  On  the  very  day  sup- 
plication was  made,  nearly  $2,000  was  sent. 

"March,  1875. — The  funds  of  the  orphanage 
are  very  low.  When  the  tide  has  quite  ebbed  out 
the  flood  will  return.  Our  230  boys  persist  in  eat- 
ing, and  wearing  out  their  clothes,  or  we  would 
not  even  mention  the  matter  of  failing  funds ;  but 
appetites  are  stubborn  things,  and  our  boys  have 
double-barrelled  ones. 


162       LIFE  AND  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  H.  SPURGEON. 

"September,  1875. — We  have  this  month  re- 
ceived the  largest  amount,  save  one,  ever  entrusted 
to  us  at  one  time,  namely,  $50,000,  half  of  it  for 
the  orphanage,  and  will  be  invested  according  to 
our  general  rule  with  legacies,  unless  our  daily 
needs  should  compel  us  to  draw  upon  it." 

While  Mr.  Spurgeon  is  glad  to  receive  donations 
for  the  orphanages,  of  food  and  clothing,  yet  he 
announces,  very  properly,  that  he  wants  the  best, 
or  none  at  all — that  which  is  good  in  quality.  He 
believes  that  what  is  given  to  the  Lord  should  be 
the  best. 

Mr.  Spurgeon  describes  the  orphanage  as  4t  was 
in  1876: 

"The  orphanage  is  approached  from  the  Clap- 
ham  Road  by  a  broad  avenue.  Plane  trees, 
planted  on  either  side,  have  attained  a  good  growth, 
very  greatly  adding  to  the  beauty  of  the  entrance. 
Before  you  is  the  entrance  arch,  to  the  right  is  the 
master's  house,  and  to  the  left  are  the  dining  hall 
and  kitchen.  Observe  on  the  pillar  on  the  right 
the  sword  and  the  trozuel,  the  pastor's  motto,  and 
on  the  left  the  testimony  to  the  great  truth  that 
faith  will  be  honored  and  ltke  Lord  will  provide.' 
On  the  inner  sides  of  the  two  first  piers  are  the 
texts  lMy  God  shall  supply  all  your  need  according 


THE  STOCKWELL  ORPHANAGE.  163 

to  his  riches  in  glory  by  Christ  Jesus.'  When  stand- 
ing under  the  noble  archway,  note  again  the  text 
which  strengthens  our  hearts  in  orphanage  work, 
'■A  Father  of  the  fatherless,  and  a  judge  of  the 
widow )  is  God  in  His  holy  habitation?  On  the 
piers  fronting  the  orphanage  are  the  two  following 
inscriptions,  '•Solomon,  in  all  his  glory,  zvas  not 
a i- rayed  like  one  of  these,'  and  '  Your  Heavenly 
Father  fcedeth  them,'  which  again  proclaims  our 
hope  and  the  ground  of  our  confidence. 

"On  looking  from  under  the  arch  the  visitor  is 
struck  with  the  size  and  beauty  of  the  buildings, 
and  the  delightfully  airy  and  open  character  of  the 
whole  institution.  It  is  a  place  of  sweetness  and 
light,  where  merry  voices  ring  out,  and  happy 
children  play.  The  stranger  will  be  pleased  with 
the  dining  hall,  hung  round  with  engravings;  he 
will  be  shown  in  the  board  room,  where  the  trustees 
transact  the  business;  he  will  be  especially  pleased 
with  the  great  play  hall,  in  which  our  public  meet- 
ings are  held  and  the  boys'  sports  are  carried  on. 
There  is  the  swimming  bath,  which  enables  us  to 
say  that  nearly  every  boy  can  swim.  Up  at  the 
very  top  of  the  buildings,  after  ascending  two 
flights  of  stairs,  the  visitor  will  find  the  school-rooms, 
which,  from  the  very  position,  are  airy  and  whole- 


164      LIFE  AND  WORK'  OF  REV.  C.  II.  SPURGE  ON. 

some.  The  floors,  scrubbed  bv  the  boys  them- 
selves, the  beds  made  and  the  domestic  arrange- 
ments all  kept  in  order  by  their  own  labor,  are 
usually  spoken  of  with  approbation.  The  matrons 
are  glad  to  show  friends  over  their  houses;  Mr. 
Charlesworth,  the  excellent  master,  is  always 
pleased  to  arrange  for  friends  to  look  over  the 
buildings  and  the  schools,  and  when  there  is  no 
contagious  disease  abroad,  he  will  conduct  them  to 
the  infirmary ',  where  the  best  nurses  will  be  glad 
to  show  them  their  domain. 

"The  infirmary  itself  stands  at  the  further  end 
of  the  orphanage  grounds,  and  is  spacious  enough 
to  accommodate  a  large  number  of  children  should 
an  epidemic  break  out  in  the  institution.  It  was 
built  after  the  other  portions  had  been  finished,  and 
has  proved  a  great  blessing;  for  ever  since  its 
erection  the  speedy  isolation  of  ailing  boys  has 
checked  the  spread  of  contagious  diseases,  and  b\' 
God's  blessing  has  preserved  our  average  of  health 
at  a  very  high  point  indeed." 

Mr.  Spurgeon,  continuing,  speaks  of  the  spiritual 
condition  of  the  boys:  "We  have  already  seen 
many  children  converted,  and  these  are  formed 
into  a  Christian  band.  Several  of  the  lads  who 
have  left  have  subscribed  handsomely  to  the  funds; 


THE  STOCKWELL  ORPHANAGE.  r65 

almost  without  exception  all  the  boys  in  situations 
are  doing  well,  and  one  is  in  college  giving  every 
token  of  becoming  a  good  minister  of  Jesus  Christ. 

"The  whole  work  is  carried  on  in  dependence 
on  God,  and  His  blessing  is  manifestly  resting  upon 
it.  Having  no  list  of  subscribers,  no  payments  for 
votes,  and  a  continual  need  for  nearly  $20,000 
above  the  increase  from  property,  we  are  never- 
theless well  supplied." 

Since  this  was  written,  the  girls'  orphanage  has 
been  added,  and  many  other  improvements  made 
in  the  institution.  The  expense  has  been  increased, 
but  the  income  has  been  enlarged  in  proportion. 

As  to  the  course  of  instruction,  the  boys  are  well 
taught  elementary  knowledge,  such  as  reading, 
writing,  arithmetic,  grammar,  history,  geography, 
vocal  music,  Latin,  shorthand,  science  of  common 
things,  and  scripture.  A  class  in  French  is  held 
for  the  older  boys,  and  they  are  drilled  daily  in 
military  tactics.  Drawing  is  taught,  and  many  of 
the  boys  excel  in  it.  Music  is  also  taught  with 
success. 

Children  of  from  6  to  10  years  are  admitted  to 
remain  till  they  are  14  years  of  age.  The  orphan- 
age is  not  denominational;  children  of  parents  of 
all  creeds  and  no  creed,  Protestant  and  Catholic, 
are  received. 


166      LIFE  A. YD  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  //.  SPURGE  OX. 

Speaking  of  the  grounds  of  admission,  Mr.  Spur- 
geon  says:  "No  widow  ever  goes  away  lamenting 
over  time,  labor  and  money  spent  in  vain.  The 
worst  that  can  kappen  is  to  be  refused  because 
there  is  no  room,  or  because  her  case  is  not  so  bad 
as  others." 

Mr.  Needham,  in  his  unexcelled  "Life  of  Mr. 
Spurgeon,"  says:  "In  the  management  of  the 
orphanage  will  be  found  one  of  its  chief  attractions, 
and  one  which  ought  to  commend  its  plans  to  other 
similar  institutions.  The  author  of  a  book  called 
'Contracts'  cites  the  Stock  well  School  as  a  speci- 
men of  admirable  administration,  proving  that 
large  expenditure  in  some  public  institutions  does 
not  guarantee  thorough  satisfaction.  In  some 
orphan  schools  and  pauper  schools  the  rate  of 
expense  per  head  is  from  one  hundred  and  fifteen 
to  one  hundred  and  forty-five  dollars,  whilst,  at 
the  Stockwell  Orphanage,  with  complete  organiza- 
tion, and  highly  satisfactory  results  in  each  depart- 
ment, the  cost  is  only  seventy-two  dollars  per  head 
inclusive  of  everything.  This  is  the  highest  testi- 
monial which  could  be  given  of  its  efficiency. " 


THE  GIRLS'   ORPHANAGE.  167 


THE    GIRLS'  ORPHANAGE. 

IN  the  year  1880,  and  on  the  birthday  of  Mr. 
*■  Spurgeon,  June  22,  the  foundation  stones  of 
the  first  four  houses  of  the  Girls'  Orphanage  were 
laid  with  appropriate  ceremonies.  Mrs.  Spurgeon 
was  able  to  be  present,  to  the  joy  of  all,  and  to  lay 
the  memorial  stone  of  the  Sermon  House,  the  gift 
of  Mr.  C.  H.  Spurgeon  and  his  publishers,  Messrs. 
Passmore  &  Alabaster.  The  memorial  stone  of 
another  house,  the  gift  of  Mr.  W.  R.  Rickett,  and 
called  "  The  Limes,"  in  memory  of  five  beloved 
children,  was  laid  by  Mr.  Spurgeon.  Mrs.  Samuel 
Barrow  laid  the  memorial  stone  of  the  house  called 
"The  Olives,"  the  amount  for  its  erection  having 
been  given  and  collected  by  her  husband.  Mr. 
William  Higgs,  treasurer  of  the  board,  laid  the 
memorial  stone  of  another  house,  the  gift  of  the 
trustees  of  the  orphanage,  and  the  inscription  on 
the  stone  is:  "Erected  by  the  Trustees  of  the  Or- 
phanage to  express  their  joy  in  this  service  of 
love." 

In   addition  to   these    facts,   we   learn   from   the 
annual  report  for  1881,  that  the  buildings  of  the 


168      LIFE  AND  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  If.  SPURGEON. 

orphanage  after  the  addition  of  these  houses  for 
the  girls'  formed  a  great  square,  enclosing  a  fine 
space  for  air  and  exercise.  However,  there  were 
then  still  needed  bath  and  washhouses  and  infirm- 
ary, not  as  a  luxury,  but  as  a  necessity.  "The 
buildings'  are  not  a  workhouse  or  a  country  jail, 
but  a  pleasant  residence  for  those  children  of 
whom  God  declares  himself  to  be  the  Father. 
When  the  whole  of  the  buildings  are  complete  the 
institution  will  afford  accommodation  for  five  hun- 
dred children,  and  prove  a  memorial  of  Christian 
generosity  and  of  the  loving  kindness  of  the  Lord." 
Up  to  this  time  Mr.  Spurgeon  writes:  liWe  have 
never  been  in  debt  yet,  nor  have  zve  ha<l  a  mortgage 
upon  any  of  our  buildings^  nor  //are  zve  ever  bor- 
rowed money  for  a  time,  but  we  have  always  been  able 
to  pay  as  we  have  gone  on." 

In  The  Sword  and  the  Trowel  for  August,  1889, 
Mr.  Spurgeon  writes: 

"Ours  is  a  work  for  Jesus,  carried  on  in  the 
spirit  of  faith  and  love,  and  in  it  we  have  the 
hearty  confidence  and  co-operation  of  Christians  of 
all  denominations.  Upon  the  ground  of  our  com- 
mon faith  and  love,  and  our  possession  of  the  one  life 
whose  very  breath  is  love,  we  unite  in  helping  the 
widow  and  the  orphan  for  Christ's  own  sake.     His 


THE  GIRLS'  ORPHANAGE.  169 

approval  is  our  chief  reward,  but  it  is  an  additional 
joy  to  know  that  the  orphanage  is  an  eloquent 
answer  to  the  sneers  of  infidels  and  scoffers  of  the 
modern  school,  who  would  fain  make  it  out  that 
our  charity  lies  in  bigoted  zeal  for  doctrines,  but 
does  not  produce  practical  results.  Are  any  of  the 
new  theologians  doing  more  than  those  of  the  old 
orthodox  faith?  Is  not  theirs  the  religion  of 
'talkee,  talkee?'  What  does  socialism  amount  to 
beyond  words  and  theories?  At  any  rate,  we  are 
both  for  the  bodies  and  souls  of  the  poor,  and  try 
to  show  our  love  of  truth  by  truthful  love. 

"To  secure  the  admission  of  a  destitute  father- 
less child,  no  patronage  is  received,  and  no  pur- 
chase of  votes.  The  most  helpless  and  deserving 
are  selected  by  a  committee,  who  give  the  first 
place  to  the  greatest  need.  *  *  The  amount 
expended,  directly  or  indirectly,  in  gaining  admis- 
sion to  institutions,  is  in  some  cases  almost  equal 
to  the  value  of  the  benefit  secured.  As  it  is  impos- 
sible for  us  to  receive  all  who  apply,  there  is  this 
satisfaction:  the  candidates  are  only  declined  for 
want  of  room,  and  not  because  they  have  failed  to 
buy  sufficient  votes.  *  "x"  *  The  president  wishes 
here  to  say,  that  to  the  trustees  belongs  the  credit 
of  managing   all   the   interior   arrangement  of  the 


170      LIFE  AND  WORK  OF  REV.  C  H.  SPURGEON. 

orphanage,  while  he  is  himself  only  the  general 
manager,  and  the  receiver  of  gifts,  by  which  the 
institution  is  carried  on.  The  trustees  manage  the 
steamship,  and  the  president  is  the  stoker  of  the 
fires.  The  children  are  not  dressed  in  peculiar 
uniform,  to  mark  them  as  charity  children.  We 
have  no  admiration  for  this  bit  of  absurdity.  Or- 
phanage is  a  child's  misfortune,  and  he  should  not 
be  treated  as  though  it  were  a  fault.  In  a  garb 
that  marks  him  out  as  poor,  it  is  not  easy  for  a 
child  to  acquire  self-respect.  We  wish  some  of 
the  older  institutions  could  break  through  the  tra- 
ditions  which  turn  the  objects  of  their  charity  into 
grotesque  figures,  to  mark  them  out  as  charitv 
boys.  We  mean  to  steer  clear  of  that  sort  of 
display." 

Mr.  Spurgeon  quaintly  concludes:  "The  insti- 
tution is  neither  hospital,  reformatory,  nor  idiot 
asylum." 


f  o 


JOHN  B.  GO  UGH  AT  THE  ORPHANAGE.  171 


JOHN  B.  GOUGH    AT    THE    ORPHANAGE. 

r  I  ~*0  show  that  Mr.  Spurgeon  gives  his  personal 
-l        attention  to  these  noble   charities,  and  that  he 
is    as    faithful    as    a    pastor    as    he    is    great    as    a 
preacher,  we  relate  the  following  anecdotes: 

Mr.  John  B.  Gongh,  the  great  temperance 
orator,  who  visited  Stockwell  orphanage  with  Mr. 
Spurgeon,  says:  "When  we  entered  the  grounds 
the  boys  set  up  a  shout  of  joy  at  the  sight  of  their 
benefactor.  I  asked,  'what  are  the  requirements 
for  admission ?"  He  said,  'utter  destitution;  noth- 
ing denominational."  *  *  *  *  After  the  boys 
had  gone  through  their  gymnastic  exercises  and 
military  drill,  I  spoke  a  few  words  to  them.  Mr. 
Spurgeon  was  like  a  great  boy  among  boys.  He 
said,  'there  are  two  hundred  and  forty  boys;  only 
think!  How  many  pence  are- there  in  a  shilling?' 
'Twelve.'  'Right.  How  many  shillings  in  a 
pound?'  'Twenty.'  'Right.  Twelve  times  twenty ; 
how  many?'  'Two  hundred  and  forty.'  'That's 
a  penny  a  piece  for  each  boy.'  'Here,  Mr. 
Charlesworth,'  handing  him  a  sovereign,  'give 
these  boys  a  penny  a  piece,'  when   a  shrill,  hearty 


172      LIFE  AND  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  H.  SFURGEOiV. 

hurrah  was   given  as  Mr.  Spurgeon   turned   away 
with  a  laugh  of  keen  enjoyment." 

"  'Will  you  go  into  the  infirmary?'  said  Mr. 
Spurgeon  to  Mr.  Gough.  'We  have  one  poor  boy 
very  ill  with  consumption ;  he  cannot  live,  and  I 
wish  to  see  him,  for  he  would  be  disappointed  if 
he  knew  I  had  been  here  and  had  not  seen  him.' 
We  went  into  the  cool  and  sweet  chamber,  and 
there  lay  the  boy.  He  was  very  much  excited 
when  he  saw  Mr.  Spurgeon.  The  great  preacher 
sat  by  his  side,  and  I  cannot  describe  the  scene. 
Holding  the  boy's  hand  in  his,  he  said-  'Well,  my 
dear,  you  have  some  precious  promises  in  sight  all 
round  the  room.  Now,  dear,  you  are  going  to 
die,  and  you  are  very  tired  lying  here,  and  soon 
will  be  free  from  all  pain,  and  you  will  rest. 
Nurse,  did  he  rest  last  night?'  'He  coughed  very 
much.'  'Ah,  my  dear  boy,  it  seems  hard  for  you 
to  lie  here  all  day  in  pain,  and  cough  at  night. 
Do  you  love  Jesus?'  'Yes.'  'Jesus  loves  you. 
He  bought  you  with  his  precious  blood,  and  he 
knows  what  is  best  for  you.  It  seems  hard  for 
you  to  lie  here  and  listen  to  the  shouts  of  the 
healthy  boys  outside  at  play.  But  soon  Jesus  will 
take  you  home,  and  then  he  will  tell  you  the  reason 
and  you  will  be  so  glad.'     Then,  laying  his  hand 


JOHN  B.  GOUGh  AT  THE  ORPHANAGE.  173 

on  the  boy,  without  the  formality  of  kneeling,  he 
said:  'O,  Jesus,  Master,  this  dear  child  is  reaching 
out  his  thin  hand  to  find  thine.  Touch  him,  dear 
Saviour,  with  thy  loving,  warm  clasp.  Lift  him 
as  he  passes  the  cold  river,  that  his  feet  be  not 
chilled  by  the  water  of  death ;  take  him  home  in 
thine  own  good  time.  Comfort  and  cherish  him 
till  that  good  time  comes.  Show  him  thyself  as  he 
lies  here,  and  let  him  see  thee  and  know  thee  more 
and  more  as  his  loving  Saviour.  After  a  few 
moments  pause,  he  said,  'Now,  my  dear,  is  there 
anything  you  would  like?  Would  you  like  a 
little  canary  in  a  cage,  to  hear  him  sing  in  the 
morning?  Nurse,  see  that  he  has  a  canary  to- 
morrow morning.  Good-bye,  my  dear,  you  will 
see  the  Saviour  perhaps  before  I  shall.'  ' 

"I  have  seen  Mr.  Spurgeon,"  continues  Mr. 
Gough,  "hold  by  his  power  sixty-five  hundred 
persons  in  a  breathless  interest.  I  know  him  as  a 
great  man,  universally  esteemed  and  beloved;  but, 
as  he  sat  by  the  bedside  of  a  dying  pauper  child, 
whom  his  beneficence  had  rescued,  he  was,  to  me, 
a  greater  and  grander  man  than  when  swaying  the 
multitude  at  his  will." 


i/4     LIFE  AND  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  II.  SPURGEON. 


D.  L.  MOODY  AT  THE  ORPHANAGE. 

A  \  /"HEN  Moody  and  Sankey  were  in  London, 
*  *  they  were  encouraged  in  their  evangelistic 
labors  by  Mr.  Spurgeon,  who  preached  for  Mr. 
Moody,  entertained  him  at  his  house,  and  had  Mr. 
Sankey  sing  for  the  Tabernacle  congregation. 

Mr.  D.  L.  Moody  says:  "While  we  were  in 
London,  Mr.  Spurgeon  took  Mr.  Sankey  and  my- 
self to  his  orphan  asylum,  and  he  was  telling  about 
them — that  some  of  them  had  aunts  and  some 
cousins,  and  that  every  boy  had  some  friend  that 
took  an  interest  in  him,  and  came  to  see  him  and 
gave  him  a  little  pocket  money,  and  one  day  he 
said,  while  he  stood  there,  a  little  boy  came  up  to 
him  and  said,  'Mr.  Spurgeon,  let  me  speak  to  you;' 
and  that  boy  sat  down  between  Mr.  Spurgeon  and 
the  elder  who  was  with  the  clergyman,  and  said: 
'Mr.  Spurgeon,  suppose  your  father  and  mother 
were  dead,  and  you  didn't  have  any  cousins,  or 
aunts,  or  uncles,  or  friends  to  come  and  give  you 
pocket  money  and  give  you  presents,  don't  you 
think  you  would  feel  bad?  because  that's  me.' 
Said  Mr.  Spurgeon,  'The  minute  he  asked  me  that, 
I  put  my  right  hand  down  into  my  pocket  and  took 
out  the  money.' '" 


M 


CONVERSION   OF   CHILDREN.  175 


CONVERSION   OF   CHILDREN. 

R.  Spurgeon  believes  in  the  conversion  of 
children.  He  was  converted  himself  when 
a  child.  He  has  received  many  children  into  his 
church  and  baptized  them  upon  the  profession  of 
their  faith  in  Christ,  and  his  testimony  is  that  they 
have  made  the  best  members  and  have  given  him 
less  trouble  than  those  who  have  been  converted 
later  in  life. 

The  following  was  clipped  from  the  Chronicle,  of 
August  29,  1890: 

"A  more  than  ordinary  congregation  attended 
the  Thursday  service  at  the  Metropolitan  Taber- 
nacle, Newington-butts,  last  evening.  Mr.  Spur- 
geon himself  conducted  the  service,  assisted  by 
his  brother  and  co-pastor,  the  Rev.  James  A.  Spur- 
geon. The  special  service  was  one  of  immersion. 
Some  23  persons — 12  males  and  11  females — 
joined  Mr.  Spurgeon's  church  last  night,  bringing 
the  church  membership  at  the  Tabernacle  up  to  in 
round  numbers,  5,600.  Among  the  newly  consti- 
tuted members  were  eight  children,  to  whom  a 
special  address  was  delivered  by  the  Rev.  J.  A. 
Spurgeon." 


176      LIFE  AND  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  LI.  SPURGEON. 

We  have  given  extracts  from  the  various  annual 
reports  of  the  orphanage  to  show  the  progress  of 
the  work ;  and  now  we  show  its  present  condition 
from  the  annual  report  for  1889-90.  It  has  accom- 
modations for  500  orphans,  and  in  all  fourteen  hun- 
dred and  twenty  have  been  received  into  the  insti- 
tution from  its  beginning  to  the  end  of  March,  1890, 
of  these,  the  religious  profession  of  the  parents  was 
as  follows:  Church  of  England,  554;  Baptist,  358, 
Congregational,  152;  Wesleyan,  132;  Presby- 
terian, 26;  Roman  Catholic,  3  ;  Brethren,  7  ;  Mora- 
vian, 2;  Bible  Christian,  2;  Society  of  Friends,  2; 
Salvation  Army,  1;  not  specified,.  181. 

Mr.  Spurgeon  believes  that  it  is  well  to  begin 
early  to  give,  and  to  begin  when  one  has  but 
little  to  give;  so  the  children  of  the  orphanages, 
collected  into  a  Sunday-school,  give  regularly. 
The  contributions  of  these  children  for  the  year 
1889- '90,  for  the  Baptist  Missionary  Society,  the 
North  Africa  Mission,  the  Continental  Sunday- 
school,  and  the  Temperance  Hospital  and  Band 
of  Hope  Work  amounted  in  all  to  about  $140. 

He  raises  money  for  the  orphanage,  which 
needs  more  than  the  endowment  yields,  by  vol- 
untary donations,  from  all  its  friends,  by  collections, 
by  concerts  given  by  a  choir  of  orphan  boys  under 


CONVERSION  OF  CHILDREN.  177 

Mr.  Charlesworth,  in  various  churches,  by  gift  ot 
useful  articles,  toys,  food,  clothing,  &c,  and  by 
birthday  and  new  year's  offerings.  The  total 
income  for  the  year  1889- '90  was  over  $60,000. 

Mr.  Charlesworth,  the  head-master  of  the  or- 
phanage, has  trained  some  of  the  boys  to  sing 
well  in  concert,  and  he  has  taken  them  throughout 
England  to  give  public  entertainments.  They 
divide  the  proceeds  between  the  church  in  which 
the  concert  is  held  and  the  orphanage,  and  these 
concerts  have  yielded  to  the  orphanage  in  one  year 
as  much  as  $10,000. 


i7S      LIFE  AATD  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  II.  SPURGEON. 


THE    COLPORTAGE   ASSOCIATION. 

r  I  ^"HE  third  great  work,  taken  up  by  Mr.  Spur- 
*  geon  and  connected  with  the  Metropolitan 
Tabernacle  Church,  was  the  Colportage  Associa- 
tion, the  object  of  which,  as  the  name  implies,  is 
to  send  the  gospel  message  in  the  form  of  books 
and  tracts  from  door  to  door.  Mr.  Spurgeon 
justly  remarks  that  while  this  work  was  third  in 
order  of  time  taken  up  by  his  church,  that  it  was 
by  no  means  third-rate  in  importance.  He  believes 
it  to  be  one  of  the  most  efficient  and  economical 
agencies  in  existence,  and  that  as  education 
increases  it  will  be  more  and  more  so,  and  says: 
"The  sale  of  vicious  literature  can  only  be  met  by 
the  distribution  of  good  books;  these  can  only  be 
scattered  in  rural  districts  by  carrying  the  books  to 
the  doors,  and  even  in  towns  the  book-hawker* s 
work  greatly  stimulates  their  sale.  Scotland  has 
long  had  a  grand  staff  of  colporteurs,  it  was  time 
to  make  a  beginning  in  England." 

Just,  as,  in  the  providence  of  God,  the  institution 
of  the  orphanage  and  of  the  college  was  forced 
upon   Mr.    Spurgeon,    and   his    church,    so    it  was 


THE  COLPORTAGE  ASSOCIATION:  179 

with  this  colportage  work,  it  was  laid  upon  them 
and  they  could  not  refuse.  It  was  through  the 
earnestness  of  a  generous  friend  at  the  Tabernacle, 
to  whom  they  felt  under  obligation,  that  the 
enterprise  was  begun.  A  committee  was  appointed 
in  September,  1866,  and  certain  young  brethren 
undertook  the  management  of  the  work.  During 
the  first  two  years  six  men  were  employed,  but  the 
means  for  their  support  were  not  easily  obtained. 
"This  enterprise,"  remarks  Mr.  Spurgeon, "seemed 
to  be  one  plant  too  many  in  one  garden,  and  had  it 
not  been  for  the  persevering  entreaties  of  the 
principal  promoter  of  this  work,  we  should  have 
allowed  it  to  die  out."  In  1872,  the  work  began 
to  grow  and  there  were  thirteen  men  in  the  field. 
It  became  necessary  to  have  a  paid  secretary,  and 
Mr.  W.  C.  Jones  was  appointed  to  the  position, 
and  filled  it  acceptably.  In  1874,  there  were 
thirty-five  men  at  work,  and  the  income  of  the 
society  from  their  sales  of  religious  books,  bibles 
and  tracts  was  $15,000.  In  1876,  there  were 
forty-five  men  employed,  the  "trade  stock" 
amounted  to  $4,000. 

The  home,  or  headquarters  of  the  society,  is  in 
the  college  building,  and  it  is  unsectarian  in  princi- 
ple, after  the  manner  of  the  London  City  Mission; 


i8o      LIFE  AND  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  If.  SPURGEON. 

although  most  of  its  colporteurs  are  Baptists  and 
the  society  has  been  mainly  supported  by  that 
denomination.  The  cost  of  support  for  one  colpor- 
teur is  $400  a  year,  and  many  churches  have  these 
men  laboring  m  connection  with  them;  the  church 
for  which  one  is  working  providing  for  one-half  of 
his  support. 

"The  colporteur,  not  only  endeavors  to  sell 
books,  but  he  visits  from  door  to  door,  and  in  so 
doing  converses  with  the  people  about  their  souls, 
prays  with  the  sick,  and  leaves  a  tract  at  each 
cottage.  He  is  frequently  able  to  hold  prayer- 
meetings,  open-air  services,  and  Bible  readings. 
He  gets  a  room,  if  possible,  and  preaches;  founds 
Bands  of  Hope,  and  makes  himself  generally  use- 
ful in  the  cause  of  religion  and  temperance.  He 
is,  in  fact,  first  a  missionary,  then  a  preacher, 
and  by-and-by,  in  the  truest  sense,  a  pastor.  We 
have  some  noble  men  in  this  work.  All  are  not 
equally  good;  some  have  even  proved  slothful;  but 
the  system  is  one  which  soon  discovers  a  man's 
negligence,  since  his  sales  fall  off  and  the  monthly 
report  tells  the  tale. 

"The  book -hawker  stands  upon  a  vantage 
ground  as  a  house  to  house  missionary.  His  tract 
is  a  passport  to   every  door;  the   attempt  to  sell  is 


THE  COLPORTAGE  ASSOCIATION  1S1 

an  opportunity  for  declaring  the  gospel,  and  the 
book  itself  is  a  ready  test.  When  we  think  of 
300,000  visits  paid  in  one  year  among  a  priest- 
ridden  peasantry,  we  are  encouraged,  and  give 
God  the  glory.  But  we  cannot  restrain  the  sigh, 
'O  that  some  rich  stewards  of  the  Lord  would  look 
on  this  work  and  help  us  to  increase  it.'  London 
has  only  one  of  our  colporteurs,  and  yet  needs  them 
badly.     How  is  this?" 

The  two  Bible-classes  of  Mr.  Charlesworth, 
the  superintendent  of  the  orphanage,  agreed  to 
support  a  colporteur  in  the  streets  of  London  with 
a  Bible  carriage,  which  is  pictured  as  a  two- 
wheeled  push-cart  with  a  glass  top,  through  which 
the  books  could  be  displayed. 

The  fourteenth  annual  report,  for  1880,  shows 
that  there  were  seventy-nine  men  employed,  and 
that  during  the  year  a  total  circulation  of  396,291 
books  and  periodicals,  the  gross  value  of  which 
was  $37,000  and  over;  nearly  631,000  visits  paid 
to  families,  and  more  than  6,000  religious  services 
conducted  by  the  colporteurs.  The  report  in  The 
Sivord  and  the  Trozvcl,  for  July,  1890,  shows  an 
income  for  the  year  1889,  of  about  $30,000,  from 
all  sources,  for  carrying  on  the  work.  This  seems 
to  include  the  profit  on  sales.  The  average  num- 
ber of  colporteurs  employed  during  the  year  was 


iSz      LIFE  AND  WORK'  OF  REV.  C.  II.  SPURGEOX. 

80,  and  the  year  closed  with  84,  as  against  74  in 
1888.  In  June,  1890,  there  were  87  at  work. 
This  marked  increase  was  regarded  as  an  in- 
stance of  strongly  expressed  appreciation  of  the 
success  and  blessing  that  had  already  attended  the 
work,  and  a  desire  to  obtain  for  others  the  labors 
of  the  colporteur.  The  "value"  of  the  sales  made 
during  1889  was  over  $48,000,  being  the  largest 
amount  yet  reached.  The  total  numbers  sold 
were:  Bibles,  8,782;  books,  220,713;  testaments, 
11,379;  magazines,  365,788;  and  these,  with  other 
literature,  made  a  grand  total  of  "books  and 
packets"  sold,  551,949,  and  magazines,  365,788. 
In  addition  to  this,  the  84  colporteurs  have  dis- 
tributed upwards  of  153,000  tracts,  made  698,292 
visits,  and  conducted  9,866  gospel  services.  The 
total  "value"  of  sales  from  the  commencement  of 
the  association,  over  $650,000. 

The  president  of  the  Colporteur  Association, 
Rev.  C.  H.  Spurgeon,  at  its  annual  meeting  in 
1890,  remarked:  "Colportage  was  a  necessity  of 
the  Christian  churches;  they  must  meet  bad  litera- 
ture with  good.  The  colporteur  did  more  than 
counteract  the  influence  of  bad  literature  with  good; 
he  was  the  agent  of  the  church,  and  where  he 
could  not  sell  a  book  he  left  a  tract,  thus  speaking 
a  word  for  Christ  and  comforting  and  instructing 
the  sick  and  dying." 


THE   TOTAL   ABSTINENCE  SOCIETY.  183 


THE  TOTAL  ABSTINENCE  SOCIETY. 

A  MONG  the  many  organizations  connected  with 
**  Mr.  Spurgeon's  church  is  the  Metropoli- 
tan Tabernacle  Total  Abstinence  Society, 
an  account  of  a  meeting  of  which,  in  1890,  is 
furnished  by  a  London  paper: 

"On  Wednesday  this  society  held  their  weekly 
meeting  in  the  lecture  hall,  when  the  tabernacle 
temperance  choir  occupied  the  platform,  under 
the  conductorship  of  Mr.  C.  W.  E.  Bowker,  and 
gave  a  very  interesting  musical  evening.  Several 
good  anthems  were  well  rendered.  Miss  True 
and  Miss  Love  gave  two  recitations;  and  a  dia- 
logue, entitled  'Parental  Influence,'  was  also 
furnished  by  the  Misses  Frith,  Rouse  and  Bowker, 
Miss  L.  Heath  sang  'Lead  me  gently  home, 
Father,'  with  good  expression  and  feeling.  Mr. 
A.  Bulloch  sang  'Star  of  Bethlehem,'  and  was 
much  appreciated  by  the  audience.  A  clarionet 
solo  was  performed  by  Mr.  Doughty  and  several 
other  friends  assisted,  making  a  very  pleasant  and 
enjoyable  evening.  A  gentleman  from  the  State 
of    Maine,    U.    S.    A.,    gave    a    very    interesting 


US.;      LIFE  AND  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  //.  SPUR  GEO  X. 

account  of  total  abstinence  in  that  State.  The 
chair  was  occupied  by  the  Rev.  J.  T.  Dume,  and 
Mr.  E.  A.  Randall  presided  at  the  organ.  The 
secretary  announced  that  the  Rev.  E.  T.  Ince 
would  be  present  next  Wednesday  to  give  a  read- 
ing, entitled  'Temperance  Sketches,'  which  would 
be  illustrated  by  dissolving  views.  After  a  vote 
of  thanks  to  the  choir,  the  meeting  closed  with  the 
doxology." 


THE  TABERNACLE  PRAYER-MEETINGS.         1 85 


THE  TABERNACLE  PRAYER-MEETINGS. 

^  A  T  the  prayer-meeting,  in  the  Tabernacle, 
•**■  [June,  1890]  special  supplication  was 
offered  for  a  blessing  upon  the  service  to  be  held  in 
Exeter  Hall  on  the  following  afternoon.  Mr. 
Chamberlain  sang,  with  great  pathos  and  power, 
the  sweet  hymn,  commencing: 

"It  passeth  knowledge,  that  dear  love  of  thine." 
And  the  pastor  delivered  a  short  address  upon  the 
same  subject.  Mr.  Charles  Cook  gave  an  account 
of  his  recent  visits  to  prisons  in  Germany  and 
Russia,  and  told  thrilling  stories  of  the  power  of 
the  gospel  upon  the  most  hardened  criminals.  Mr. 
Harmer  described  several  cases  of  usefulness 
through  the  reading  of  the  pastor's  sermons,  and 
spoke  of  the  words  "blood"  and  "hell,"  giving 
instances  of  the  usefulness  of  preaching  what 
many  now-a-days  ignore  and  dispise.  Mr.  Bun- 
ning  followed  with  a  striking  illustration  of  the 
blessings  of  the  water  of  life  founded  upon  his 
colonial  experience,  especially  at  Christ  Church, 
New  Zealand.  The  meeting  was,  on  the  whole, 
rather  one  of  testimony  than  of  prayer;  but  many 


i86       LIFE  AND  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  //.  SPURGEON. 

petitions  were  interwoven  with  the  addresses,  and  a 
prayerful  spirit  pervaded  the  whole  proceedings. 
On  Monday  evenings  we  try  to  have  nothing 
stereotyped;  no  two  meetings  are  alike,  and  the 
variety  tends  to  maintain  a  continual  interest  in  the 
gatherings.  The  word  of  prayer  is  called  out  by 
descriptions  of  the  work  of  faith ;  and  on  the 
other  hand,  the  work  of  faith  needs  the  divine 
blessing  which  comes  only  to  the  word  of  prayer. 
Our  meetings  are  practical  and  prayerful ;  they  are 
real  business  meetings,  in  which  service  alone  is 
presented  in  faith  to  the  Lord,  that  he  may  accept 
it  through  the  sacrifice  of  Christ." 

"On  Monday  evening,  July  14,  1890,  the  mem- 
bers, who  have  been  recently  admitted  into  the 
church,  met  for  tea,  with  the  pastor  and  officers. 
Two  hundred  and  eighty-six  were  eligible,  but 
rather  more  than  two  hundred  attended,  the  early 
hour  at  which  the  meeting  had  to  be  held  prevent- 
ing the  others  from  being  present.  The  pastor 
presided,  and,  in  the  name  of  the  church,  welcomed 
the  new  members  and  counselled  them  with  regard 
to  the  duties  and  privileges  of  their  position. 
Addresses  were  also  delivered  by  Rev.  Charles 
Chambers  and  Deacons  Hall,  Thompson  and  W. 
Olney,   and  Mr.  Chamberlain  sang  "Tell  Jesus," 


THE  TABERNACLE  PRAYER-MEETINGS.        187 

which  he  was  afterwards  asked  to  repeat  in  the 
Tabernacle.  Our  deacons  spoke  so  ably,  and  with 
such  a  holy  anointing,  that  we  could  do  no  less  than 
bless  the  Lord  for  such  well-instructed  brethren. 
May  the  new  members  prove  themselves  to  be  good 
and  true,  and  may  the  church  bring  all  the  more 
glory  to  God  as  its  numbers  are  increased ! 

Mr.  Spurgeon  believes  in  revival  or  evangelistic 
services,  and  in  large  in-gatherings.  He  likes  to  see 
old  and  young  coming  in  crowds  together  to  Christ. 
He  often  holds  a  month  of  continuous  meetings  for 
prayer  and  the  salvation  of  souls,  and  at  such 
seasons  the  church  is  often  found  in  fasting  as  well 
as  prayer.  The  meetings  held  in  February,  1867, 
were  so  remarkable,  and  the  services  during  one 
week,  in  which  a  whole  day  was  devoted  to  fasting 
and  prayer  in  the  sanctuary,  were  so  distinguished 
above  the  rest  that  it  has  been  said  that  the 
account  thereof  "reads  like  a  new  chapter  in  the 
Acts  of  the  Apostles,"  and  often  since  then  have 
the  Tabernacle  people  enjoyed  very  precious 
seasons  of  refreshing  from  waiting  upon  the  Lord. 

In  these  continuous  meetings  at  the  Tabernacle, 
Mr.  Spurgeon  is  helped  at  times  by  the  members 
of  the  Evangelists'  Association,  connected  with  the 
Pastors'  College. 


188      LIFE  AND  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  II.  SPURGEON. 


THE   BOOK    FUND. 

A  MONG  the  good  and  useful  enterprises 
-**■  connected  with  the  Metropolitan  Tabernacle 
Church,  may  be  mentioned  the  Book  Fund.  This 
work  was  projected  and  carried  on  by  Mrs.  C.  H. 
Spurgeon  herself,  the  wife  of  the  pastor.  Mrs. 
Spurgeon  is  a  suffering  invalid,  and  has  been  for 
years.  But  her  sufferings  have  been  alleviated 
and  her  life  prolonged  by  a  painful  surgical  oper- 
ation, which,  together  with  the  trouble  that  makes 
it  necessary,  might  seem  to  be  enough  to  exhaust 
the  energies  and  strength  of  any  one.  But  while 
there  are  many  things  that  Mrs.  Spurgeon  cannot 
do,  she  has  found  time  and  strength  to  do  the  noble 
work  of  supplying  needy  ministers  of  the  gospel 
with  instruments  for  their  work  in  the  shape  of 
books. 

"Mrs.  Spurgeon,"  says  Mr.  Needham,  "has 
been  a  constant  sufferer,  unable  to  participate  in  the 
great  schemes  of  benevolence  connected  with  her 
husband's  labors,  yet,  from  her  quiet  chamber  she 
has  personally  procured  and  directed  tens  of 
thousands    of    books    for    needy    pastors,    whose 


THE  BOOK  FUND.  189 

libraries  were  in  great  need  of  her  generous  dona- 
tions. Besides,  she  superintends  a  private  and 
humble  mission,  which  sends  clothing  to  their 
poorly-clad  children  and  suffering  wives.  Dorcas- 
like, she  labors  for  the  poor,  and  her  work  is 
wisely  planned,  managed  with  economy  and 
precious  in  its  results.  The  life  of  this  dear, 
afflicted  lady  is  fragrant  with  benevolence;  many 
homes  are  made  glad  as  the  results  of  her  toil." 

Mrs.  Spurgeon  says,  in  her  report  for  1879: 
"The  Book  Fund  makes  grants  to  poor  pastors  of 
every  evangelical  denomination  who  are  in  actual 
charge,  wholly  devoted  to  the  ministry,  and  whose 
income  from  all  sources  does  not  exceed  $750  per 
annum. 

"These  grants  consist  of  seven  or  eight  volumes 
and  usually  comprise  the  'Treasury  of  David.'  or 
some  of  Mr.  Spurgeon's  sermons — not  to  the  exclu- 
sion of  other  books,  but  chiefly  because  they  are 
works  most  sought  after  by  the  applicants  to  the 
fund;  and  I  am  not  afraid  or  ashamed  to  say  it, 
because  I  know  I  could  not,  with  the  slender  means 
at  my  command,  give  any  more  precious  or  more 
helpful.  There  are  several  special  books  for 
ministers  which  I  would  at  once  add  to  my  list  if 
friends,  who  wish  for  their  circulation,  would  sup- 
ply me  with  the  means. 


i9o      LIFE  AND  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  H.  SPURGEO.X. 

"Poor  ministers  are,  as  a  rule,  not  the  exception; 
they  are  not  restricted  to  the  Baptist  denomination, 
or  to  our  own  land,  but  abound  in  every  connection 
and  in  all  climes;  their  needs  are  very  urgent,  their 
prospects  seldom  brighten,  and  their  ranks  never 
seem  to  thin.  Mv  work  for  them  is  as  great  a 
necessity  now  as  it  was  at  the  commencement. 

"It  is  the  joy  of  my  life  thus  to  serve  the  ser- 
vants of  mv  master,  and  the  dailv  blessings  and 
tender  providences  which  surround  my  work  are 
more  precious  to  me  than  words  can  express. 
Some  of  the  subjects  of  my  thankfulness  may 
seem  small,  inconsiderable  with  others,  but  to  me 
they  are  of  constant  interest  and  importance.  My 
retired  life  shuts  out  the  usual  pleasures  of  social 
intercourse,  but  opens  wide  a  world  of  glad  delight 
in  thus  '  ministering  to  the  necessities  of  the  saints.' 
I  have  scores  of  friends  with  wmose  circumstances 
I  am  acquainted,  yet  whose  faces  I  have  never 
looked  upon.  I  hope  to  know  and  greet  them  on 
the  'other  shore;'  and  meanwhile  their  love  and 
prayers  are  a  sweet  reward  for  such  pleasant  ser- 
vice as  the  Lord  enables  me  to  render  to  them. 

"I  have  been  very  pleased  during  this  year  to 
see  my  work  extend  among  the  poorly  paid  curates 
of   the    church   of    England,    and    I    trust   a  great 


THE  BOOK  FUND.  191 

blessing  will  follow  the  introduction  into  their  libra- 
ries  of  such  books  as  the  'Treasury,'  the  sermons, 
and  the  'Lectures  to  my  Students.'  These  gifts 
are  sought  with  eager  joy,  and  of  all  the  pleasant 
letters  which  I  have  received,  none  are  more  cour- 
teous in  spirit,  or  grateful  in  language,  than  those 
penned  by  clergymen  of  the  established  church. 

"To-day  $1,000  is  mine,  from  the  great  testi- 
monial fund  raised  last  Christmas;  $500  is  allotted 
to  the  book  fund,  and  $500  to  the  Pastors'  Aid 
Society.  My  dear  husband's  kindness  secures  this 
splendid  help  to  my  work,  and  I  bless  God  both 
for  him  and  his  delightful  gift.  If  John  Plough- 
man's wife  might  say  here  what  she  thinks  of  John 
in  this  and  all  other  matters,  it  would  be  an  easy 
task  to  fill  these  pages  with  his  praises ;  but  since 
such  a  wifely  eulogy  might  be  deemed  out  of 
place,  Mrs.  J.  P.  may  at  least  record  in  her  little 
book  her  hearty  and  appreciative  thanks  to  the 
hundreds  of  true  friends  who  have  lately  done 
honor  to  the  'prince  of  her  life,'  and  furnished 
him  with  the  means  of  more  abundantly  blessing 
all  the  poor  and  needy  ones  who  look  to  him  as 
their  best  earthly  friend  and  comforter." 

Mrs.  Spurgeon  writes  in  her  diary:  "Octo- 
ber 4.      Truly  this   has  been   a   red-letter    day   in 


192      LIFE  AND  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  II.  SPURGEON. 

book-fund  experience.  'My  mouth  has  been  filled 
with  laughter,  and  my  tongue  with  singing.'  My 
heart  praises  and  extols  the  goodness  of  the  Lord, 
and  my  hand  shall  at  once  record  the  mercy  which, 
like  a  blessed  rain  on  a  thirsty  land,  has  so  sweetly 
refreshed  my  spirit.  This  afternoon  a  constant, 
generous  friend  brought  $500  for  the  book  fund. 
This  was  cause  for  devout  thankfulness  and  great 
joy,  for  lately  an  unusually  large  number  of  books 
has  been  going  out  week  by  week,  though  funds 
have  flowed  in  less  freely.  But  it  was  not  till  a  few 
hours  after  receiving  this  noble  donation  that  I  saw 
fully  the  Lord's  tender  care  and  pitying  love  in 
sending  me  this  help  just  when  He  knew  I  should 
most  sorely  need  it.  By  the  late  post  that  night 
came  my  quarterly  account  for  books,  and  so 
heavy  was  it  ($1,700)  that  in  fear  and  haste  I  turned 
to  my  ledger  to  see  the  available  balance,  and  with 
emotion,  I  shall  not  easily  forget,  I  found  that  but 
for  the  gift  of  $500  a  few  hours  previously  I  should 
have  been  $300  in  debt. 

"Did  not  the  Father's  care  thus  keep  the  sparrow 
from  falling  to  the  ground?  A  sleepless  night  and 
much  distress  of  spirit  would  have  resulted  from 
my  discovery  of  so  serious  a  deficit  in  my  funds, 
but  the  Lord's  watchful  love  prevented  this." 


THE  BOOK  FUND.  193 

Upon  receiving  the  gift  of  $125  for  the  Book 
Fund  from  Mr.  J.  B.  Gough,  as  a  part  of  the 
proceeds  of  one  of  his  lectures,  Mrs.  Spurgeon 
writes:  "Such  a  gift,  from  such  a  man,  is  precious 
and  most  worthy,  but  not  unusual,  as  I  believe  it  is 
a  constant  habit  of  Mr.  Gough  to  bestow  blessings 
as  well  as  to  recommend  them.  Long  as  his  name 
has  been  honored  in  our  household,  and  his  special 
work  admired  and  appreciated,  it  was  not  till  his 
recent  visit  to  England  that  we  had  the  happiness 
of  his  personal  acquaintance.  Now  he  has  been 
twice  to  see  me  (accompanied  once  by  his  excellent 
wife),  and  a  friendship  has  sprung  up  between  us 
which,  though  interrupted  by  each  other  on  earth, 
will  find  its  true  fruition  and  best  enjoyment  in 
heaven.  The  hours  we  spent  in  his  company  have 
left  fragrant  memories,  not  only  of  pleasant  mirth 
at  the  droll  tales  so  inimitably  told,  but  also  of 
sacred  joy  in  sweet  and  goodly  words  which 
'ministered  grace  unto  the  heavens.'  Cannot  my 
friends  imagine  that  it  was  a  rare  treat  to  listen  to' 
the  converse  of  John  Plowman  and  John  Gough? 

"No  'pen  of  a  ready  writer'  was  there  to  record 
the  good  things  they  said,  or  to  immortalize  the 
brilliant  'table  talk'  which  graced  each  repast; 
but  the  sweet  communion  which  knit  our  hearts  to- 


194     LIFE  AND  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  H.  SPURGEON. 

gether  will  never  be  forgotten  by  us,  and  so  deep  a 
flood  of  enjoyment  came  in  upon  my  usually  quiet 
life  that  day,  that  it  will  forever  pleasantly  ripple 
upon  the  shores  of  memory.  To  our  dear  friends, 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Gough,  in  their  far-away  home  in 
the  West,  I  send  loving  greetings,  and  for  this  $125, 
which  means  so  much  joy  and  comfort  for  the 
Lord's  poor  servants,  I  give  the  warmest  thanks  of 
a  grateful  heart." 

The  "Ninth  Annual  Report  of  the  Book  Fund 
and  its  Work"  (1884)  is  full  of  sunlight  and  cheer. 
The  work,  begun  in  feebleness,  has  been  pros- 
pered; the  Lord  has  raised  up  helpers;  during  the 
past  year,  there  have  been  sent  out  9,149  volumes, 
beside  21,221  single  sermons;  during  the  entire 
nine  years,  71,270  volumes,  beside  we  know  not 
how  many  sermons,  tracts,  pamphlets,  etc.  The 
contributions  during  the  past  year  were  ^"1,461 
(about  $7,000). 

Many  of  the  letters  received  in  acknowledgment 
of  the  books  and  sermons  are  very  touching  and 
deeply  interesting.  Missionary  laborers  in  Bengal, 
Hayti,  Norway,  Palestine,  express  the  profound 
gratitude  with  which,  in  their  loneliness,  they 
receive  the  cheering  and  inspiring  words  which 
breathe  in  the  sermons  of  the  Tabernacle  pastor. 


THE  BOOK'  FUND.  195 

One  of  the  letters  is  from  a  member  of  our  own 
Ramapatam  Seminary,  under  the  care  of  Dr.  Wil- 
liams.    The  letter  is  translated  thus: 

"May  God's  help  be  your  blessing! 

''To  the  presence  of  my  dear  mother,  Mrs. 
Spurge on : 

"Valpaila  Yohan,  a  teacher  in  the  Theological 
Seminary,  Ramapatam,  writes  with  much  gratitude 
as  follows: 

'■'■Dear  Madam: — I  am  one  engaged  in  God's 
work  in  this  seminary,  and  render  help  to  its  prin- 
cipal, Dr.  Williams:  that  is  to  say,  I  am  teaching 
the  Word  of  God  to  my  fellow-countrymen.  I  am 
confident  you  will  pray  for  God's  blessing  to  rest 
upon  my  labors.  Now  I  wish  particularly  to  tell 
you  of  the  gratitude  I  feel  towards  you.  Dear 
mother,  you  gave  a  few  volumes  of  Mr.  Spur- 
geon's  sermons  to  our  missionary,  and  told  him  to 
give  them  gratuitously  to  those  among  the  Teloogoo 
preachers  who  could  read  a  little  English.  In  this 
way,  I  have  received  through  your  favor  the  sixth 
volume  of  these  sermons.  I  give  you  many  salaams 
for  this  gift.  I  am  confident  that  although  my 
land  is  thousands  of  miles  distant  from  yours,  you 
possess  great  love  to  poor  Christians  of  this  country 
like  myself.  May  I  tell  you  something  of  my  own 
history?  I  was  led  to  believe  in  the  year  1868, 
and  was  baptized  in  the  same  year.  After  a  few 
months,  I  was  received  into  the  mission-school, 
and  acquired  knowledge  for  four  years.  Then,  in 
1872,  I  was  sent  to  the  Brownson  Theological 
Seminary  to  study  the  Word  of  God.  After  six- 
years,  God  elected  and  appointed  me  a  teacher  in 
this  same  seminary;  my  wife  also  teaches  the  wives 


196      LIFE  A. YD  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  II.  SPURGEON. 

of  the  students.  I  have  a  family  of  six  children ;  I 
would  entreat  you  to  pray  that  God  would  bless  me 
even  more,  and  enable  me  to  do  my  work  faithfully. 
I  tender  my  salaams  to  you  and  to  Mr.  Spurgeon; 
also  to  your  sons.  My  wife  and  children  also  send 
salaams.  Valpulla  Yohan. 

Many  of  the  letters  are  from  ministers  of  the 
established  church;  for  the  benefits  of  the  fund  are 
not  limited  by  any  church  or  creed  lines.  Of  the 
i, on  ministers  who  received  books  from  the  Book 
Fund  last  year,  but  243  are  Baptists. 

Often  the  letters  are  from  ministers  in  very  small 
villages,  with  very  scanty  salaries.  In  this  country 
there  is  usually  the  hope  that  the  small  town  will 
in  time  grow,  and  the  church  with  it;  but  in  Eng- 
land it  often  happens  that  the  village  is  dwindling 
from  year  to  year  by  emigration;  and  the  minister, 
while  holding  the  post  where  God  has  placed  him, 
has  not  the  inspiration  of  a  hope  of  better  days. 
These  self-denying  brethren  are  working  (we  can 
hardly  say  living)  on  ^"50  a  year.  Of  course, 
books  are  an  impossible  luxury.  The  arrival  of  a 
package  from  Mrs.  Spurgeon,  with  food  for  heart 
and  head,  is  greeted  with  tears  of  gratitude.      One 

writes : 

Asking. 

My  people  give  me  all  they  can  as  yet  afford, 
27s.  per  week.     Thank  God  we  can  manage   to 


THE   BOOK'  FUND.  197 

live  on  that,  my  wife  and  I,  and  two  children; 
but  there  is  no  margin  for  books.  I  have  been  able 
only  to  buy  a  shilling  volume  during  the  last  twelve 
months,  and  no  one  has  given  me  any,  so  you  can 
understand  the  urgency  of  my  appeal  to  you. 

Receiving. 

My  dear  wife  stood  by  as  I  unpacked  the  books, 
with  such  a  glad  smile  on  her  face,  and  as  one 
after  another  the  beautiful  volumes  were  unwrapped, 
we  both  felt  our  hearts  too  full  for  words,  until  we 
had  knelt  and  thanked  our  Heavenly  Father  for 
such  a  manifest  token  of  his  favor.  Ah !  if  those 
who  have  the  means  to  help  only  knew  the  great 
need  of  poor  preachers,  they  would  surely  make 
your  heart  glad  by  sending  ^"ioo  where  they  now 
give  £5 . 

Of  the  broad  spirit  of  the  work,  Mrs.  Spurgeon 

says: 

There  has  been  this  year  a  curious  indication  of 
the  non-sectarian  character  of  Book  Fund  work.  I 
have  received  and  granted  applications  from  a 
Quaker,  a  Waldensian,  an  Irvingite,  three  Mora- 
vians, and  a  Unitarian!  This  latter  says,  ''Shall 
I  be  taking  the  bread  from  the  children,  if  I  ask 
for  a  grant?"  I  thought  not',  indeed,  I  felt  drawn 
to  give  him  a  good  portion  of  savory  meat, 
fearing  that  his  soul  must  be  well-nigh  famished 
upon  "strange  doctrine,"  and  praying  that  beyond 
his  own  desire  and  intent  the  living  water  might 
filter  into  his  soul.  He  sends  me  a  declaration  of 
the  principles  of  Unitarians,  a  document  which 
causes  me  much  distress,  because  it  shows  that 
some  people  manage  to  leave  out  of  religion  that 


198      LIFE  AND  WORK  OF  RE  J'.  C.  II.  SPURGEON. 

which  seems  to  me  to  be  the  very  life  and  joy  of  it, 
but  as  he  is  also  so  candid  as  to  say  that  he  reads 
Mr.  Spurgeon's  sermons  with  pleasure,  I  cannot 
but  hope  that  my  husband's  declaration  may  help  to 
amend  the  present  sentiments  of  this  friendly  cor- 
respondent.    God  grant  it  may  be  so! 

We  do  not  know  a  more  truly  sweet,  lovely 
Christian  work  than  Mrs.   Spurgeon  is  doing. 

Mrs.  Spurgeon  has  written  and  has  had  pub- 
lished an  account  of  her  work  in  book  form,  which 
covers  the  period  of  the  first  ten  years.  It  has 
reached  a  circulation  of  13,000,  sells  freely,  and 
the  profits  from  sale  go  to  the  book  fund.  The 
book  is  entitled,  "Ten  Years  of  My  Life  in  the 
Service  of  the  Book  Fund:  Being  a  Grateful  Re- 
cord of  My  Experience  of  the  Lord's  Ways,  and 
Work  and  Wages." 

It  wras  with  sorrow  that  the  man)'  friends  of  Mrs. 
Spurgeon  read  this  record  in  The  Sword  and  the 
Trowel  from  the  pen  of  the  editor  under  date 
July,  1888: 

"Mrs.  Spurgeon  requests  us  to  say  that  she 
hopes  application  for  books  will  not  yet  be  sent  in. 
She  is  no  more  able  to  attend  to  business  than  she 
was  a  month  ago.  Often  has  she  tried  to  answer 
some  of  the  letters  which  are  in  waiting;  but  we 
have  grieved  to  see  her  make  the  attempt  since  she 


THE  BOOK  FUND.  199 

has  had  to  give  it  up  as  hopeless.  It  is  a  great 
sorrow  to  see  her  so  bereft  of  all  strength.  If  she 
could  but  master  enough  physical  force  to  attend  to 
her  beloved  life-work,  we  should  then  have  hope 
of  her  speedy  recovery ;  but  till  she  can  set  parcels 
of  books  in  motion  towards  poor  ministers'  homes, 
we  shall  know  that  she  is  living  only  to  suffer. 
Suffering,  however,  is  not  a  new  thing  to  her,  nor 
is  she  lacking  in  the  patience  which  is  needed  for 
this  part  of  the  Lord's  service." 

It  gives  us  pleasure  to  record  that  Mrs.  Spur- 
geon's  health  has  been  so  much  improved  as  to 
enable  her  to  go  on  with  her  work  on  the  Book 
Fund. 


200     LIFE  AND  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  II.  SPURGEON. 


THE  PASTOR'S  AID  FUND. 

IN  addition  to  the  Book  Fund,  Mrs.  Spurgeon 
is  at  the  head  of  the  Pastor's  Aid  Fund,  the 
object  of  which  society  is  to  provide  necessary 
clothing  for  poor  ministers  and  their  families, 
throughout  England,  irrespective  of  denomina- 
tional belief  or  connection.  Thus  it  is  that  her 
name  as  the  president  of  the  society  and  of  the 
Book  Fund,  has  become  a  household  word 
wherever  her  wide-spread  benefactions  have  gone. 

"Any  one  who  goes  to  the  ladies'  room  at  the 
Tabernacle  on  the  Wednesday  following  the  third 
and  fourth  Sundays  in  each  month  can  see  how 
heartily  our  energetic  sisters  devote  their  time  and 
energies  to  the  holy  enterprise  of  the  Lord's  poor 
servants.  We  have  already  stated  that  their  main 
object  is  to  help  the  families  of  needy  ministers  in 
England  by  sending  them  suitable  parcels  of 
clothing,  but  their  annual  report  informs  .us  that 
they  have  also  assisted  a  few  of  the  agents  of  the 
Tabernacle  Colportage  Association  who  had  been 
ill." 

On  Monday    afternoon,    June    2,    1890,    at    the 


THE  PASTOR'S  AID  FUND.  201 

annual  meeting  of  the  Poor  Ministers'  Clothing 
Society,  held  in  the  lecture  hall  of  the  tabernacle, 
after  tea  and  prayer,  it  was  reported  that  49  par- 
cels, of  the  value  of  about  $1,400,  had  been  sent 
out  during  the  year,  and  most  grateful  acknowl- 
edgments of  the  same  had  been  received.  Many 
of  the  letters  told  of  the  greatest  need  supplied. 
Large  numbers  of  articles  of  clothing  had  been 
supplied  last  year,  and  Mr.  Spurgeon  said  that 
another  opportunity  would  be  given  to  all  who 
wanted  to  help  in  a  similar  fashion  :  "  Will  all  who 
conic  to  the  Tabernacle  on  July  28,  bring  a  garment 
suitable  for  a  poor  minister,  or  his  wife  or  child f 
And  will  friends  who  cannot  be  present  send  in  their 
contributions  on  or  before  that  evening?" 

If  the  response  was  made  in  a  "similar  fashion,'' 
as  the  year  before,  then  it  was  remarkable,  for  we 
find  the  following  record  made  under  date  July  29, 
1889,  in  the  Sword  and  Trowel: 

"Very  singular  was  the  scene  at  the  Tabernacle 
prayer  meeting  this  evening.  The  pastor  had 
requested  each  friend  to  bring  some  article  of 
clothing  for  the  Poor  Ministers'  Society,  and  the 
friends  did  so  with  happy  alacrity.  The  great 
table  was  piled  so  high  that  the  pastor  said  he 
could  not  see   over  it,  and   felt  like  beinj>-  buried 


202      LIFE  AND  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  H.  SPURGEON. 

alive,  so  other  tables  were  filled,  and  the  staircases 
on  each  side  of  the  pulpit  were  covered  deep  from 
top  to  bottom.  There  were  coats  and  capes, 
trousers  and  hats,  pinafores  and  petticoats,  and  all 
sorts  of  garments  for  men,  women  and  children,  to 
the  number  of  more  than  six  hundred  in  all.  It 
was  a  very  gracious  blending  of  raiments  and 
reverence  that  meeting  for  prayer." 

That  the  response  was  made  in  a  "similar  fash- 
ion," we  learn  from  the  following: 

"Monday,  July  28,  1890,  was  the  evening 
appointed  for  the  bringing  in  of  the  garments  for 
poor  ministers,  and  long  before  the  prayer-meeting 
commenced  our  good  people  were  busy  unpacking 
the  parcels  which  had  been  sent  from  the  country, 
arranging  the  articles,  and  making  as  complete  a 
record  as  they  could  of  what  had  been  received. 
Unfortunately,  their  work  was  made  more  difficult 
through  the  visit  of  thieves  to  the  Tabernacle  on 
the  previous  Sunday  night.  They  opened  parcels 
and  threw  the  contents  into  hopeless  confusion. 
In  consequence  of  this,  it  is  probable  that  some 
kind  presents  have  not  been  acknowledged  ;  but 
wherever  we  had  the  donor's  name,  a  letter  of 
thanks  has  been  sent,  and  to  all  helpers  we  now 
express    our    hearty    gratitude    for   their   generous 


THE  PASTOR'S  AID  FUND.  203 

gifts  to  the  Lord's  poor  servants.  We  have  reason 
to  believe  that  none  of  the  garments  were  stolen ; 
the  thieves  were  in  search  for  more  precious  spoil, 
but  were  not  much  rewarded  for  their  trouble." 

The  pastor,  with  friendly  helpers,  was  on  the 
platform  at  six,  and  received  parcels  of  clothing  as 
fast  as  possible.  The  givers  came  in  a  continuous 
stream,  each  one  saying  a  kind  word  to  him,  and 
receiving  his  hearty  thanks. 

"It  was  a  festival  of  love.  The  platform  and 
pulpit  stairs  were  covered  again  and  again,  and 
the  ladies  worked  very  hard  at  clearing  away  and 
counting  the  goods.  Up  to  the  time  of  writing, 
they  have  reported  the  receipt  of  1,362  articles 
and  about  ^"29  in  cash ;  and  a  large  box,  without 
donor's  address,  has  since  come  from  Ipswich. 
Some  of  the  garments  were  allotted  to  the  society 
for  clothing  the  colporteurs;  and  some,  hardly 
suitable  for  ministers,  were  assigned  to  a  mother's 
meeting;  and  thus  many  will  be  benefited  through 
the  liberality  of  our  friends.  We  must  make  an 
annual  feast  of  St.  Dorcas  sacred  to  garment 
giving,  for  this  is  a  pleasant  way  of  doing  a  neces- 
sary work.  Many  gave  a  piece  of  work  who 
could  not  have  given  money.  Here  we  had  all 
the  good  of  a  bazaar  with  none  of  its  evils." 


204      LIFE  AiYD  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  //.  SPUJiGEON. 


THE  INVALID. 

Jl  \  R.  NEEDHAM  gives  the  following  touching 
*  "*      incident  from  Mrs.  Spurgeon's  own  pen: 

"A  curious  little  incident  happened  lately  during 
a  time  of  prolonged  sickness.  At  the  close  of  a 
very  dark  and  gloomy  day,  I  lay  resting  on  my 
couch  as  the  deeper  night  drew  on,  and  though  all 
was  bright  within  my  cosy  little  room,  some  of  the 
external  darkness  seemed  to  have  entered  into  my 
soul  and  obscured  its  spiritual  vision.  Vainly  1 
tried  to  see  the  Hand  which  I  knew  held  mine, 
and  guided  my  fog-enveloped  feet  along  a  steep 
and  slippery  path  of  suffering.  In  sorrow  of  heart 
I  asked :  '  Why  does  my  Lord  thus  deal  with  His 
child?  Why  does  He  so  often  send  sharp  and 
bitter  pain  to  visit  me?  Why  does  He  permit 
lingering  weakness  to  hinder  the  sweet  service  I 
long  to  render  to  His  poor  servants?'  These  fret- 
ful questions  were  soon  answered  in  a  strange  lan- 
guage; no  interpreter  was  needed  save  the  con- 
scious whisper  of  my  own  heart. 

''For  awhile  silence  reigned  in  the  little  room, 
broken  only  by  the  crackling  of  the  oak-log  burn- 


THE   /XI'AL/ D.  205 

ing  on  the  hearth.  Suddenly  I  heard  a  sweet,  soft 
sound,  a  little  clear,  musical  note,  like  the  tender 
trill  of  a  robin  beneath  my  window.  'What  can  it 
be?'  I  said  to  my  companion,  who  was  dozing  in 
the  lire-light.  'Surely  no  bird  can  be  singing  out 
there  at  this  time  of  the  year  and  night.' 

"We  listened  and  again  heard  the  faint,  plaintive 
notes,  so  sweet,  so  melodious,  yet  mysterious — 
enough  to  provoke  for  a  moment  our  undisguised 
wonder.  Presently  my  friend  exclaimed,  'It 
comes  from  the  log  on  the  fire!'  and  we  soon 
ascertained  that  her  surprised  assertion  was  correct. 
The  fire  was  letting  loose  the  emprisoned  music 
from  the  old  oak's  inmost  heart!  Perchance  he 
had  garnered  up  this  song  in  the  days  when  all 
went  well  with  him,  when  birds  twittered  merrily 
on  his  branches,  and  the  soft  sunlight  flecked  his 
tender  leaves  with  gold.  But  he  had  grown  old 
since  then,  and  hardened;  ring  after  ring  of  knotty 
growth  had  sealed  up  the  long-forgotten  melody, 
until  the  fierce  tongues  of  the  flames  came  to  con- 
sume his  callousness,  and  the  vehement  heat  of  the 
fire  wrung  from  him  at  once  a  song  and  a  sacrifice. 
Ah,  thought  I,  when  the  fire  of  affliction  draws 
songs  of  praise  from  us,  then,  indeed,  are  we  puri- 
fied, and   our  God  is  glorified!     Perhaps  some  of 


206     LIFE  AND  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  II.  SPURGEON. 

us  are  like  this  old  oak  log,  cold,  hard,  and  insen- 
sible; we  should  give  forth  no  melodious  sounds 
were  it  not  for  the  fire  which  kindles  round  us, 
releases  tender  notes  of  trust  in  Him,  and  cheerful 
compliance  with  his  will.  'As  I  mused,  the  fire 
burned,'  and  my  soul  found  sweet  comfort  in  the 
parable  so  strangely  set  forth  before  me.  Singing 
in  the  fire.  Yes,  God  helping  us,  if  that  is  the 
only  way  to  get  harmony  out  of  these  hard,  apa- 
thetic hearts,  let  the  furnace  be  heated  seven  times 
hotter  than  before." 


MR.  SPURGE  OX  AT   HOME. 


207 


MR.  SPURGEON  AT  HOME. 

pvR.  H.  L.  WAYLAND  writes:  "This  delight- 
' —  ful  drive  through  Surrey  brought  us  to 
Westwood,  in  the  street  called  "Beulah  Hill." 
Mrs.  Spurgeon  gave  us  a  most  hearty  and  charm- 
ing welcome.  It  is  a  matter  of  great  gratification 
to  know  that  she  is  much  improved  in  health, 
though  still  very  frail  and  unable  to  brave  exposure 
or  extra  fatigue.  She  does  not  get  to  the  Taber- 
nacle to  hear  her  husband  oftener  than,  perhaps, 
once  a  year.  She  had  hoped  to  gain  some 
relief  from  the  labor  in  connection  with  the  Book 
Fund;  but  the  appeals  keep  coming  in,  and  it 
seems  that  no  one  else  can  take  up  the  work.  So 
she  goes  on  supplying  each  year  a  thousand  or 
fifteen  hundred  ministers  each  with  a  package  of 
books,  which  are  an  invaluable  aid  of  the  very 
best  kind,  quickening  heart  and  brain,  and 
enabling  the  minister  to  find  the  people,  who,  in 
turn,  will  find  him. 

"I  know  that  many  disciples  all  over  America 
are  praying  for  Mr.  Spurgeon ;  one  dear  Christian 
lady  told   me  at  Northfield   that  he  is  one  of  her 


2o8      LIFE  AMD  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  //.  SPURGKOX. 

daily  subjects  of  prayer.  And  I  beg  all  who  read 
these  lines  to  make  it  an  especial  matter  of  prayer 
that  this  dear,  benevolent,  Christian  woman,  Mrs. 
Spurgeon,  may  have  health  granted  her.  I  am 
sure  there  is  no  request  in  which  Mr.  Spurgeon 
would  more  heartily  unite. 

"Mr.  Spurgeon  showed  his  fernery,  in  which  he 
takes  much  delight,  his  garden  and  farm,  his  cows 
and  other  stock.  There  are  ten  cows;  this  depart- 
ment is  under  the  care  of  Mrs.  Spurgeon,  who, 
from  the  profit  of  the  cows,  supports  a  corporteur 
in  the  neighborhood. 

"The  kindness  of  the  Lord  to  his  servant  is 
quite  noticeable  in  the  matter  of  this  house.  Early 
in  his  ministry,  one  of  the  deacons,  seeing  that  Mr. 
Spurgeon  was  giving  away  all  his  income,  and 
laying  up  nothing,  persuaded  him  to  try  and  buy  a 
house  in  Nightingale  Lane.  This  he  gradually 
paid  for;  in  time,  the  city  grew  up  about  what  had 
been  an  open  space,  and,  as  it  became  absolutely 
needful  for  his  health  that  he  should  have  the  quiet 
of  the  country,  the  place  had  increased  in  value 
enough  to  buy  this  large  and  beautiful  place,  then, 
of  course,  less  costly  than  now.  He  takes  infinite 
delight  in  the  air,  the  views,  the  cows,  the  dogs,  the 
rabbits,  the  hens  and  the  horses.     He  has  here  and 


MR.  SPURGEON  AT  HOME.  209 

there  cut  away  the  trees  so  as  to  get  views  of  the 
country ;  on  a  very  clear  day  he  can  see  Windsor 
Castle,  thirty-five  miles  away. 

"Mr.  Spurgeon  attributes  his  improved  health 
largely  to  the  fact  that  for  the  past  two  years  he 
has  abstained  from  the  use  of  meat;  he  has  lived 
on  vegetables,  with  fish,  eggs,  etc. 

"It  will  interest  and  gratify  all  my  readers  to 
know  that  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Spurgeon  are  total  ab- 
stainers. Rev.  W.  J.  Mayers,  of  Bristol,  one  of 
Mr.  Spurgeon's  students,  tells  me  that,  two  years 
ago,  he  put  the  blue  ribbon  on  both  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Spurgeon. 

"And  so  we  walked,  or  sat  on  a  rural  bench, 
and  talked.  It  was  indescribably  delightful  to 
hear  from  him  and  Mrs.  Spurgeon  some  of  the 
reminiscences  of  their  early  days.  You  know  he 
was  settled  as  pastor  at  a  very  small  rural  village, 
when  he  was  sixteen  years  old.  The  church  could 
only  pay  him  £50  a  year.  He  paid  twelve  shil- 
lings a  week  for  his  room ;  but  his  people  were 
very  kind,  bringing  him  vegetables  and  supplies 
of  all  kinds,  so  that  he  was  able  to  live.  But 
once  he  was  greatly  in  want  of  a  hat.  'So,'  he 
said,  'I  prayed  to  the  Lord:  O  Lord,  I  need  a 
hat;    I   must  look    decently.'     Now    there    was    a 


2in      LIFE  AND  WORK'  OF  REV.  C.  If.  SPURGEOA'. 

man  in  the  village  who  was  a  proverb  of  miserli- 
ness. He  was  so  miserly  that  when  he  was  at  the 
point  of  death,  thirty  years  later,  he  came  down 
stairs  to  die,  so  that  it  should  not  be  needful  to 
pay  somebody  a  shilling  for  carrying  his  body 
down  stairs;  and  he  ordered  that  he  should  be 
buried  in  the  garden,  so  as  to  avoid  paying  the 
vicar  anything.  Just  after  I  had  prayed  for  a  hat, 
on  Sunday  morning,  this  man  called  me  out  after 
meeting  in  the  morning  to  go  to  one  side  with  him, 
behind  the  chapel.  Then  he  said:  'The  Lord 
has  told  me  to  give  you  this  (7s.  6d),  and  I  want 
you  to  pray  for  me,  that  I  may  be  saved  from 
covetousness.'  So  I  bought  a  hat.  The  next 
Sunday  the  man  again  called  me  aside;  I  could 
not  think  what  he  wanted,  unless  it  was  to  ask  me 
to  give  him  the  7s.  6d.  back  again.  He  said:  'Oh, 
dear,  I  want  you  to  pray  that  I  may  be  saved. 
The  Lord  told  me  to  give  you  ten  shillings  and  I 
kept  two  shillings  and  six  pence  out  of  it,  and  1 
have  not  slept  a  night  since.' 

"At  the  age  of  nineteen,  in  1^53,  he  was  invited 
to  go  up  and  preach  at  New  Park  Lane  Chapel, 
which  was  an  old  church  very  much  run  down, 
On  Sunday  morning  there  were  perhaps  80  persons 
present.     The  deacons  had  made  a  great  effort  to 


MR.  SPURGEON  AT  HOME.  211 

get  people  out,  so  as  to  swell  the  audience.  One 
of  the  deacons  went  to  a  young  lady  and  said: 
'Do  come  on  Sunday;  there  will  be  a  young  man 
from  the  country,  and  we  do  want  to  make  as 
much  of  a  show  as  we  can.'  The  young  lady 
went  and  saw  the  young  man  from  the  country, 
and  heard  him  preach.  She  told  me  this  herself; 
she  has  seen  him  a  good  many  times  since;  and, 
in  fact,  a  couple  of  years  later,  she  took  him  for 
good  and  all ;  and  what  a  blessing  she  has  been  to 
him  and  to  the  world  only  eternity  can  tell. 

"In  the  evening  there  were  300  or  400  at  chapel. 
I  presume  the  young  lady  made  one.  The  next 
evening,  at  the  prayer-meeting,  there  were  more 
than  on  Sunday;  this  greatly  encouraged  the 
young  man,  who  believed  in  the  prayer-meeting. 
Within  a  few  weeks  the  house  was  crowded. 

"I  had  not  thought  of  staying  beyond  the  after- 
noon; but  Mr.  Spurgeon  said:  'You  are  not  here 
very  often;  now,  stay  to  tea.'  I  was  willingly  per- 
suaded; we  had  pears,  peaches,  plums  and  hone)-, 
all  from  his  own  garden.  After  tea,  the  family, 
with  the  two  servants,  were  called  together  for 
family  prayers.  I  was  so  glad  I  had  stayed.  I 
would  not  have  missed  this  for  anything.  He  read 
the  part  of  Luke   xxiii,  which   tells   of  the  young 


212      LIFE  AND  WORK'  OF  REV.  C.  If.  SPURGEON. 

ruler  who  came  to  the  Lord.  As  he  read,  he  com- 
mented with  his  wonted  freshness,  and  now  and 
then  quaintness.  On  verse  25,  he  said:  'It  is 
hard  for  any  animal  to  go  through  the  eye  of  a 
needle ;  but  especially  hard  for  a  camel  because  he 
has  his  hump;  it  is  hard  for  any  man  to  be  saved; 
but  especially  hard  for  a  rich  man,  because  he  has 
his  riches.'  This  was,  throughout,  a  sweet,  lovely 
service. 

"Then  we  had  further  talk.  He  showed  me  a 
little  volume,  'Norcott  on  Baptism,'  to  which  he 
wrote  an  introduction ;  it  has  been  translated  into 
Turkish  and  Amenian  and  Bulgarian;  and  as  a 
result  Baptists  are  springing  up  in  those  regions. 

"Mrs.  Spurgeon  also  kindly  allowed  me  to  see 
her  workshop,  where  she  does  all  the  correspon- 
dence about  the  Book  Fund,  and  also  the  little  store 
room,  where  the  books  are  kept  and  where  the 
parcels  are  done  up.  This  sweet  and  wise  charity 
is  broad  and  all  comprehending  in  its  spirit.  Many 
of  the  appeals  for  books,  especially  for  the  books 
and  sermons  of  Mr.  Spurgeon,  come  from  clergy- 
men of  the  Church  of  England.  And  here,  I  may 
add,  that  Mr.  Spurgeon  speaks  very  heartily  and 
generously  of  the  amount  of  true  piety  and  sound 
doctrine  now  existing  in  the  Anglican  Church. 


MR.  SPURGE  ON  AT  NOME.  213 

"As  I  was  coming  away,  Mr.  Spurgeon  directed 
my  attention  to  a  few  of  the  pictures  in  the  hall, 
representing  scenes  in  the  Reformation.  He  has 
400  or  500  of  them.  He  delights  in  all  that 
illustrates  and  honors  those  heroes — Calvin,  Beza, 
Luther,  and  the  rest  of  the  Lord's  chosen  menr 
at-arms.  He  sometimes  lends  the  collection  to 
churches  to  use  as  an  aid  in  raising  money. 

"Well,  everything  must  have  an  end.  The 
'Spurgeon  Day'  was  at  its  close.  I  shall  not  see 
many  such  days  on  earth.  I  left  the  land  of 
Beulah,  and  returned  to  the  great  city,  wondering 
why  such  kindness  is  shown  me,  and  thanking 
God  for  the  blessing  granted  to  the  world  through 
these  his  servants,  and  asking  for  them  every 
blessing,  earthly  and  heavenly. 

Earl  of  Shaftesbury  says,  in  his  diary: 

"July  10,  1881,  drove  to  Norwood  to  see  my 
friend  Spurgeon.  He  is  well,  thank  God,  and 
admirably  lodged.  His  place  is  lovely.  His 
wife's  health,  too,  is  improved  by  change  of  resi- 
dence. Pleasant  and  encouraging  to  visit  such 
men,  and  find  them  still  full  of  perseverance,  faith, 
and  joy  in  the  service  of  our  blessed  Lord." 


214      LIFE  AXD  WORK   OF  REV.  C.  //.  SPURGEON. 


THE   TWIN    SONS. 

/"~\N  the  20th  of  September,  1856,  there  were 
^-^  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Spurgeon  twin  sons,  to 
whom  the  names  of  Charles  and  Thomas  were 
given.  They  were  born  in  Nightingale  Lane, 
Balham,  near  London.  They  were  educated  at 
Camden  House  School,  Brighton;  which  they 
quitted  in  1874.  They  both  acquitted  themselves 
honorably  at  school,  and  have  since  devoted  them- 
selves, like  their  father,  grandfather  and  great- 
grandfather, to  the  gospel  ministry. 

Charles  entered,  at  first,  the  office  of  a  London 
shipping  firm,  intending  to  devote  himself  to  secu- 
lar business,  but  his  conversion  to  Christ  led  him 
to  change  his  profession  in  life.  His  conversion 
was  on  this  wise.  He  was  out  riding  horse-back 
with  a  pious  friend,  who  engaged  him  in  religious 
conversation.  Rain  came  on  when  they,  dismount- 
ing sought  the  shelter  of  a  tree.  Here  they  both 
knelt  down  upon  the  grass,  and  while  the  friend 
prayed,  young  Spurgeon  gave  his  heart  to  Christ. 
September,  21,  1874,  Mr.  Spurgeon  received  both 
of  his  sons  into  the  fellowship  of  the  church  at  the 
Tabernacle  by  public  baptism. 


THE    TWIN  SONS.  215 

He  began  his  work  with  his  brother  Thomas,  in 
the  public  service  of  his  Lord,  in  a  little  mission 
in  the  densely  populated  neighborhood  of  Chatham 
Road,  in  the  cottage  of  a  gardener.  The  brothers 
labored  together,  speaking  to  the  people  who  at- 
tended the  meeting,  with  so  much  acceptance  and 
success,  that  it  was  soon  found  necessary  to  erect 
a  chapel.  The  health  of  Thomas  broke  down, 
and  he  was  compelled  to  sail  for  Australia,  but  the 
work  was  continued  by  Charles,  who  was  then  in 
business.  He  held  two  or  three  week-night  ser- 
vices there,  besides  the  Sunday  services.  Through 
his  labors  the  chapel  was  erected  and  dedicated, 
his  father  preaching  the  sermon. 

Charles  entered  the  Pastors'  College  in  1872, 
where  his  superior  education  enabled  him  to  take 
high  rank.  To  his  Greek  and  Latin  he  now  added 
the  Hebrew  and  general  theological  studies. 

He  was  called,  in  1879,  to  ^le  pastorate  of  the 
South-street  Church,  Greenwich,  where  he  entered 
upon  his  duties,  at  the  age  of  23,  and  where  he 
preached  to  a  congregation  filling  the  commodious 
structure  with  a  thousand  hearers.  His  work  there 
was  blessed  to  the  spiritual  up-building  of  the 
church,  and  a  debt  of  $5,000  on  the  chapel  was 
paid  off. 


216      LIFE  AND  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  H.  SPURGEON. 

Charles  Spurgeon  was  married  April  n,  1881, 
to  Miss  S.  A.  Jacob,  by  his  father. 

Thomas  Spurgeon,  after  leaving  school  in  1874, 
entered  the  shop  of  an  engraver  to  learn  the  trade, 
where  he  served  some  time.  He  decided  finally  to 
preach  the  gospel.  On  account  of  the  delicate 
state  of  his  health  he  was  compelled  to  leave  his 
native  land,  and  he  sailed,  at  an  early  age,  for 
Australia,  where  he  spent  a  year  in  evangelistic 
labors.  He  returned  home  only  to  discover  the 
necessity  of  a  prolonged  absence  from  England, 
so  he  went  abroad  again,  preaching  in  New  Zea- 
land for  awhile,  and  finally  settling  as  pastor  of  a 
Baptist  church  at  Auckland.  He  has  written  many 
articles  for  The  Sword  and  tlie  Trowel,  and  calls 
himself  "Tom,  the  Plough-boy,  son  of  John 
Ploughman."     He  writes  : 

"Many  a  good  laugh  I've  had  over  some  of 
your  quaint  sayings  and  odd  rhymes.  They  seem 
made  to  make  one  smile,  and  are  more  powerful 
than  laughing-gas.  This  is  the  beauty  of  the 
book,  to  my  mind.  I  like  a  mixture  of  pleasure 
and  profit,  and  of  wit  with  wisdom.  Just  a  drop 
or  two  of  sauce  with  the  cold  mutton  is  a  grand 
improvement.  The  meat  is  good  enough  by  itself, 
you  know,  but  it  slips  down  sweeter  some  how 
with  a  dash  of  'relish.'" 


THE   TWIN  SONS.  217 

He  says:  "My  Dear  Father: — I  am  so  glad  you 
have  had  your  likeness  taken  with  your  smock  on 
and  the  big  whip  in  your  hand.  There  are  ever 
so  many  portraits  of  you  in  your  Sunday-go-to- 
meeting  suit,  but  this  suits  you  best  of  all.  I  wish 
you  could  have  got  Dapper  and  Violet  into  the 
picture.  All  your  friends  in  this  part  of  the  world 
are  glad  enough  to  hear  the  smack  of  your  whip 
again.  It  cracks  as  many  jokes  as  ever.  We 
rejoice,  too,  that  the  sharp  share  is  driven  through 
the  monster  evil,  drink,  and  its  attendant  vices. 
'God  speed  the  plough,'  we  pray,  when  it  roots 
up  such  ill  weeds." 

We  give  an  extract  from  one  of  his  pulpit  articles 
entitled,   "He  Told  Us  Nothing  New." 

"Many  a  critic  praises  when  he  intends  to  cen- 
sure. The  man  who  uttered  this  complaint  had 
not  got  what  he  expected,  but  the  fault  was  with 
himself,  in  that  he  did  not  look  for  what  it  was  the 
preacher's  duty  to  supply.  Blame  from  certain 
quarters  is  the  highest  commendation.  The  fly 
blamed  the  spider  for  spreading  a  web  right  in  its 
way,  and  thus  paid  an  unintentional  compliment  to 
the  skilful  fly-catcher.  The  nail  chided  the  ham- 
mer for  hitting  it  right  on  the  head,  and  indirectly 
praised  the  stroke.     The  fish  complained  that  the 


218     LIFE  AND  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  II.  SPURGEON. 

bait  completely  hid  the  hook,  and  this  was  one  to 
the  fisherman.  Now,  if  the  fly  and  the  nail  and 
the  fish  had  been  able  to  congratulate  one  another 
on  escape  from  web  and  stroke  and  hook,  spider 
and  carpenter  and  fisherman  would  not  have  shared 
the  joy,  but  would  have  needed  to  look  to  their 
laurels  and  try  again.  This  case  is  somewhat 
similar.  From  the  son  of  a  great  preacher,  this 
fault-finder  expected  to  receive  something  not  only 
startling  in  delivery,  but  novel  as  to  matter. 

"A  fellow-townsman  said  to  him,  the  morning 
after  the  evangelistic  service,  '  Were  you  hearing 
young  Spurgeon  last  night,  and  what  did  you  think 
of  him?'  'Little  enough,' he  answered.  '  It  was 
the  same  old  stuff.  He  told  us  nothing  new.'  The 
reader  must  imagine  the  shrugged  shoulder,  and 
the  disappointed  look,  which  accompanied  this 
lamentation.  Sorry  as  I  maybe  for  the  poor  man's 
disappointment,  I  cannot  bring  myself  to  murmur 
at  his  criticism.  I  gladly  own  the  judgment  just. 
There  could  be  no  credit  to  the  preacher  of  the 
gospel  if  men,  who  were  by  no  means  strangers  to 
the  truth,  exclaimed  in  rapturous  delight,  'It  was 
all  new  to  us;  we  never  heard  such  things  before!' 
Is  it  ours  to  be  ever  'telling  some  new  thing,'  tick- 
ling the  ears   of  Athenians,   and   finding   food  for 


THE   TWIN  SONS.  219 

speculation  and  superstition?  I  thought  '  the  old, 
old  story'  was  our  theme,  and  none  of  your  new- 
fangled notions  and  startling  novelties. 

''What  this  malcontent  expected,  I  am  at  a  loss 
to  know.  The  avowed  object  of  the  preacher  was 
to  proclaim  the  gospel,  and  the  promise  was  ful- 
filled. He  certainly  had  a  gospel  text.  'Th  s  is  a 
faithful  saying,  and  worthy  of  all  acceptation,  that 
Christ  Jesus  came  into  the  world  to  save  sinners;' 
and  if  I  remember  rightly  the  sermon  stuck  to  the 
text,  the  tune  was  in  the"  same  key  as  the  first 
note." 

Mr.  Thomas  Spurgeon,  after  doing  a  good  work 
in  Auckland,  New  Zealand,  was  compelled  to  resign 
on  account  of  ill  health,  and  from  last  accounts 
there  he  remained,  for  his  health  would  not  permit 
him  to  return  home. 


220      LIFE  AND  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  II.  SPURGEON. 


THE  CO-PASTOR  OF  THE  TABERNACLE. 

TAMES  ARCHER  SPURGEON,  a  younger 
*J  brother  of  Rev.  C.  H.  Spurgeon,  when  only 
seventeen  years  of  age,  and  while  still  at  the 
Baptist  College,  Regent's  Park,  as  a  student,  com- 
menced his  pulpit  ministrations  in  London  as  a 
preacher.  He  often  had  to  supply  the  pulpit  of 
his  brother,  at  the  Park-street  Church,  and 
preached  there  and  elsewhere  with  acceptance. 

Owing  to  the  absence  of  Rev.  C.  H.  Spurgeon 
from  his  pulpit  at  intervals  during  many  years  on 
account  of  severe  illness,  brought  on,  as  his 
physicians  said,  by  overwork,  the  deacons  and 
elders,  after  consulting  together,  recommended  to 
the  church  the  appointment  of  Rev.  James  A. 
Spurgeon  as  associate  pastor  of  the  church  wor- 
shipping in  the  Metropolitan  Tabernacle.  He 
entered  upon  his  duties  January  9,  1868. 

This  appointment  was  very  agreeable  to  Rev. 
C.  H.  Spurgeon,  who  appreciated  the  valuable 
service  his  brother  was  able  to  render  him  in  his 
great  work.  Besides  proving  himself  an  able 
co-pastor  and  preacher,  as  he  is  still,  Rev.  James 


THE  CO-PAS  TDK  OF  THE   TABERNACLE.         22 1 

Spurgeon  has  helped  his  brother  in  all  his  various 
enterprises,  and  is  vice-president  of  the  Pastors' 
College,  and  of  the  Colporteurs'  Association,  and 
vice-president  and  acting  treasurer  of  the  Orphan- 
age. He  is  also  pastor  of  the  West  Croydon 
Church,  his  services  being  needed  at  the  Taber- 
nacle mostly  during  the  week. 

Mr.  James  Spurgeon  visited  America,  where  he 
was  well  received  and  made  a  very  favorable 
impression.  He  was  accompanied  by  his  wife, 
who  has  since  died.  She  was  a  daughter  of  the 
late  Field-Marshall,  Sir  John  Burgoyne,  Governor 
of  the  Tower  of  London,  and  granddaughter  of 
General  John  Burgoyne,  who  commanded  the 
British  forces  that  surrendered  at  Saratoga  in  1777. 
Her  brother,  Captain  Burgoyne,  of  the  Royal 
Navy,  was  lost  in  the  iron-clad  Captain,  in  the  Bay 
of  Biscay.  Rev.  C.  H.  Spurgeon  spoke  very 
feelingly  at  her  funeral,  at  the  West  Croydon 
Church,  of  Mrs.  Spurgeon's  baptism  by  himself, 
and  of  the  loss  of  social  privileges  and  advantages 
she  sustained  when  she  joined  the  Baptist  Church, 
and  paid  a  high  tribute  to  her  Christian  character. 

The  following  is  from  the  pen  of  Rev.  James  A. 
Spurgeon,  and  relates  to  the  Tabernacle  Church, 
of  which  he  is  the  co-pastor: 


222      LIFE  AND  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  If.  SPURGEON. 

"In  conclusion,  we  feel  bound  to  acknowledge 
that  our  dependence  for  prosperity  and  peace  is 
solely  upon  the  God  who  commands  the  dew  of 
His  grace  lo  descend  upon  His  church.  All  our 
springs  are  in  Him;  no  under-shepherd's  care,  not 
the  best  built  and  guarded  fold,  can  ever  keep  out 
the  wolf  in  sheep's  clothing,  nor  the  enemy,  so 
watchful  and  relentless,  who  goeth  about  as  a  roar- 
ing lion,  seeking  whom  he  may  devour.  Our  help 
cometh  from  the  Lord  who  made  heaven  and 
earth.  The  discipline  of  the  closet  and  the  prayer- 
meeting,  of  close  fellowship  with  God  in  secret, 
will  bring  the  reward  openly.  Nothing  in  the 
shape  of  rules  or  customs,  no,  not  even  the  de- 
voted services  of  apostles  themselves,  can  com- 
pensate for  low-toned  piety  on  the  part  of  the 
members.  Whence  come  wars  and  fightings?  Is 
it  not  because  many  professors  are  still  carnal,  and 
walk  not  after  the  Spirit  ?  Drawing  nearer  and  nearer 
to  the  centre  and  source  of  all  grace,  and  blessing 
will  inevitably  result  in  our  being  '  one,'  to  the  glory 
of  God  the  Father.  We  must  raise  our  standard  of 
individual  and  personal  piety,  and  to  that  extent 
we  shall  destroy  elements  of  evil.  If  thorns  can 
spring  up  and  choke  the  good  seed,  the  same  law 
may,  if  rightly  turned  upon  the  foe,  destroy  roots 


THE  CO-PASTOR  OF  THE  TABERNACLE.         223 

of  bitterness,  which,  springing  up,  would  trouble 
us,  by  occupying  the  ground  with  the  '  fruits  of 
the  Spirit,  which  are  love,  joy,  peace,  long  suffer- 
ing, gentleness,  goodness,  faith,  meekness,  tem- 
perance— against  such  there  is  no  law.' 

"Now  unto  Him  that  is  able  to  keep  you  from 
falling,  and  to  present  you  faultless  before  the 
presence  of  His  glory  with  exceeding  joy,  to  the 
only  Wise  God,  Our  Savior,  be  glory  and  majesty, 
dominion  and  power,  both  now,  and  forever. 
Amen."' 


224      LIFE  AND  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  II.  SPURGE  OK 


THE   SPURGEON  FAMILY. 

ft  AR.  NEEDHAM  says:  "On March  ist  [1875]  a 
*■  "  *-  very  lively,  loving  and  enthusiastic  meet- 
ing of  the  collectors  was  held  at  the  orphanage, 
when  one  thousand  dollars  was  paid  in,  and  the 
orphans  sang  like  cherubs  and  looked  as  bright 
and  cheerful  as  the  morning.  The  meeting  was 
interesting  in  other  respects,  as  will  be  seen  of  the 
following  extract:  'The  Rev.  John  Spurgeon, 
Charles  Spurgeon,  and  Thomas  Spurgeon — grand- 
father, father  and  son — addressed  the  meeting. 
The  grand-sire  spoke  of  twenty  years  ago,  when 
C.  H.  Spurgeon  preached  at  his  grandfather's — 
James  Spurgeon's  jubilee,  and  three  generations  of 
their  family  were  present  on  that  occasion.  He 
blessed  God  that  as  the  older  generations  had 
gone,  new  ones  had  arisen.  We  all  joined  in  his 
gratitude,  and  the  more  so  when  his  grandson  proved 
by  his  cool,  clear  delivery  and  lively  warm-hearted 
manner,  that  he  would  worthily  sustain  the  family 
name. 

Mr.  C.  H.  Spurgeon,  in  speaking  of  the  golden 
wedding  day  of  his  father  and  mother,  which  was 


THE   SPURGEON  FAMILY.  ^25 

celebrated  at  his  home,  at  Westwood,  says  that 
there  were  thirty-two  persons  present  in  all — child- 
ren, grandchildren,  great-grandchildren,  and  that 
seven  of  this  household  were  preachers  of  the 
gospel ;  and  adds :  "Our  own  dear  departed  grand- 
father, so  long  an  honored  winner  of  souls,  used 
to  rejoice  in  five  of  us  as  ministers  of  Christ;  but 
now  'we  are  seven,'  and  there  are  others  among  us 
who  occasionally  bear  witness  for  the  truth  in 
public." 

"There  was  a  still  more  interesting  gathering  at 
the  orphanage  on  June  20th  [1875],  when  a  fete 
was  held  to  commemorate  the  anniversary  of  the 
pastor's  birthday.  The  crowds  which  attended 
were  beyond  precedent,  and  at  the  evening 
meeting,  presided  over  by  Sir  Henry  Havelock, 
five  Spurgeons  delivered  addresses,  namely,  the 
Rev.  John  Spurgeon,  the  grandfather;  his  two 
sons,  Charles  and  James  Spurgeon,  and  Thomas 
and  Charles,  the  twin  sons  of  Pastor  Spurgeon." 


226      LIFE  A. YD  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  If.  SPURGFON. 


REST    AND    RECREATION. 

I\  yTR.  SPURGEON  is  naturally  a  robust  man, 
*  '  *  but  his  incesssant  labors  and  cares  have 
from  the  earliest  period  of  his  ministry  borne 
heavily  upon  him,  and  have  repeatedly  compelled 
him  to  leave  his  pulpit  and  his  work  and  seek 
rest  and  recuperation  abroad.  A  favorite  place  of 
resort  with  him  has  beenMentone,  "where  a  genial 
sun  shines  all  the  year,"  and  where  he  often  goes 
when  November  fogs  and  January  cold  make 
London  an  undesirable  place  of  residence  for  him. 
In  some  numbers  of  the  Sword  and  Trowel,  are 
articles  he  has  written  during  his  stav  at  Mentone. 

At  one  time,  when  he  was  forced  to  leave  home, 
he  thus  facetiously  wrote : 

"Just  preparing  for  a  journey  to  Mentone,  when 
gout  and  rheumatism  came  on  with  such  rapidity 
and  severity  that  removal  was  impossible,  feet 
and  legs  became  useless,  except  for  suffering.  .  We 
had  much  to  do,  but  were  not  permitted  even  to 
think  of  the  many  plans  of  usefulness  open.  Dr. 
Palfrey  attended  and  intimated  that  the  disease 
springs  from  mental   causes,   and  can  be  as  fairly 


REST  AMD  RECREATION.  227 

reckoned  upon  when  an  extra  pressure  of  cart'  or 
labor  occurs  as  the  tides  may  be  calculated  by  the 
moon." 

"We  have  received  many  prescriptions  for  the 
gout,  and  should  have  been  dead  long  ago  if  we 
had  tried  half  oi  them.  We  are  grateful,  but  can- 
not utilize  them.  The  best  remedy  is  to  prevent 
our  having  any  anxiety  about  the  college,  orphan- 
age, or  the  colportage.  If  the  funds  keep  up  and 
the  works  are  carried  on,  and  the  Lord's  blessing 
rests  upon  the  enterprises,  they  will  be  better  to  us 
than  all  the  lotions,  liniments,  specifics  and  elixirs 
put  together,  with  twenty  sorts  of  magnetisms 
thrown  in." 

In  these  journeys  for  health,  Mr.  Spurgeon  did 
not  confine  himself  to  one  place,  but  tried  to  be 
useful  when  abroad  as  well  as  at  home.  One  time 
he  is  at  Paris,  bringing  the  Baptists  there  from  a 
back  street  to  a  new  chapel  in  a  good  locality;  and 
at  another  he  is  at  Hamburg,  Germany,  preaching 
for  Oncken  at  the  dedication  of  the  Baptist  chapel. 
But,  wherever  he  went,  the  people  flocked  to  hear 
him,  and  his  labors  were  greatly  blessed. 


228      LIFE  AND  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  II.  STURGEON. 


PLEASANTRIES   AND    OPINIONS. 

A  /IR.  SPURGEON  is  no  trifler,  but  an  earnest 
*  '  *  and  true  man,  yet  he  is  full  of  humor,  and 
at  times  displays  the  keenest  wit. 

During  Dr.  Wayland's  visit  to  the  orphanage  in 
1886,  Mr.  Spurgeon,  who  was  "happy  and  full  of 
sportiveness,"  asked  this  question  of  a  girls'  class 
in  arithmetic:  "Now,  suppose  I  should  cut  Dr. 
Wayland  in  two,  right  down  lengthwise,  what 
would  that  be  like  in  arithmetic?"  You  know 
that  Dr.  Wayland  is  very  tall.  And  as  there  was 
no  reply,  Mr.  Spurgeon  answered  his  own  ques- 
tion: "Why,  long  division;  and  suppose  I  should 
cut  him  all  up  into  little  bits,  what  would  that  be? 
Would  it  not  be  fractions?" 

An  American  firm  offered  him  one  thousand 
dollars  for  each  of  twenty-five  lectures,  to  be  deliv- 
ered in  this  country,  with  the  prospect  of  one  hun- 
dred lectures  at  the  same  price.  The  offer  was 
declined.  It  is  said  that  the  showman,  P.  T. 
Barnum,  made  him  a  similar  offer,  and  that  for 
answer  he  referred  him  to  Acts  13:10,  Paul's 
denunciation  of  Elymas  the  sorcerer:   "O  full  of 


PLEASANTRIES  AND   OPINIONS.  229 

all  subtilty  and  all  mischief,  thou  child  of  the 
devil,  thou  enemy  of  all  righteousness,  wilt  thou 
not  cease  to  pervert  the  right  way  of  the  Lord?" 

Mr.  Spurgeon  believes  in  the  circulation  of  the 
Word  of  God,  and  at  the  annual  meeting  of  the 
British  and  Foreign  Bible  Society,  held  in  Exeter 
Hall,  Mr.  Spurgeon  said  that  "the  distribution  of 
the  Bible  was  the  best  remedy  against  infidelity, 
ritualism,  and  all  other  evils;  and  the  study  of  its 
pages  tended  to  bring  all  Christians  nearer  to  eacli 
other."  He  related  the  following  anecdote  in  the 
course  of  his  address:  "I  have  very  seldom  found 
it  to  be  a  lost  thing  to  give  a  present  of  a  Testa- 
ment. I  was  greatly  astonished  about  a  month 
ago.  A  cabman  drove  me  home,  and  when  I  paid 
him  his  fare  he  said:  'A  long  time  since  I  drove 
you  last,  sir.'  'But,'  said  I,  'I  do  not  recollect 
you.'  'Well,'  he  said,  'I  think  it  is  fourteen 
years  ago,  but,'  he  said,  'perhaps  you  will 
know  this  Testament,'  pulling  one  out  of  his 
pocket.  'What,'  I  said,  'did  I  give  you  that?' 
'Oh,  yes,'  he  said,  'and  you  spoke  to  me  about 
my  soul,  and  nobody  had  done  that  before,  and  I 
have  never  forgotten  it.'  'What,'  said  I,  'have 
you  not  worn  it  out.'  'No,'  he  said,  'I  would  not 
wear  it  out,  I  have  had  it  bound,'  and  he  had  kept 
it  very  carefully  indeed." 


230      LIFE  AND  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  H.  SPURGEON. 

Efforts  have  been  made  by  some,  who  hold  to  the 
errors  of  annihilation  and  soul-sleeping,  to  show 
that  Mr.  Spurgeou  held  these  views.  If  there  have 
been  any  doubts  as  to  this,  they  were  dispelled  by 
Mr.  Spurgeon  himself,  and  he  is  able  to  speak  for 
himself  so  plainly  as  not  to  be  misunderstood.  In 
a  letter  written  by  invitation  of  the  editor  of  a  paper 
in  advocacy  of  the  false  doctrine  of  annihilation, 
"Mr.  Spurgeon  wrote  the  editor,  telling  him  that 
the  words  of  our  Lord,  'These  shall  go  away  into 
everlasting  punishment,'  finally  settled  the  point; 
and  held  that  the  publication  of  views  which  are 
opposed  to  that  declaration,  and  the  views  them- 
selves, were  equally  dangerous." 

"The  tithe-collecting  difficulty  perplexes  Parlia- 
ment, and  no  one  can  tell  how  to  dispose  of  it. 
Suppose  there  were  no  tithes  to  collect;  would  not 
religion  be  relieved  of  a  scandal,  national  peace  be 
promoted,  and  churchmen  be  benefited  by  having 
the  privilege  of  supporting  their  own  ministers? 
No  evil-disposed  person  could  invent  another  cause 
of  dissension  and  strife  so  productive  of  ill  will 
among  Christian  people  as  is  the  compulsory  sup- 
port of  a  church  by  people  who  differ  from  it.  All 
lovers  of  true  religion  should  unite  in  seeking  a 
speedy  end  of  the  present  grevious  state  of  things. 


PLEASANTRIES  AND    OPINIONS.  231 

The  land  will  not  pa}'  the  tithe  now  that  its  produce 
fetches  so  little  money;  and,  therefore,  apart  from 
the  question  of  right  or  wrong,  something  will  have 
to  be  done." 

At  one  time  when  the  public  mind  in  England 
was  much  agitated  upon  the  subject  of  religious 
instruction  in  the  public  schools,  Mr.  Spurgeon's 
attitude  had  much  to  do  with  the  proper  decision  of 
the  question.  Action  had  already  been  taken  by 
the  school  board.  Some  wanted  to  exclude  the 
reading  of  the  Bible  from  the  schools,  "and  so 
deprive  the  upgrowing  population  of  the  use  of  the 
best  book  in  the  language."  In  July,  1870,  a 
large  meeting  was  held  in  Exeter  Hall,  in  defence 
of  the  Bible  being  daily  read  in  elementary  schools. 
Mr.  Spurgeon  presided.  "The  result  of  the  meet 
ing  was,  the  Bible  retains  its  place  as  a  daily 
school  book." 

"The  wisdom  of  the  decision  then  made  has 
been  abundantly  manifested  since,  and  especially 
so  by  the  great  gathering  of  board  school  children 
in  the  Crystal  Palace  in  July,  1877,  when  some 
thousands  of  prizes  were  publicly  given  to  the 
pupils  for  proficiency  in  knowledge  of  the  Bible, 
and  when  it  was  most  convincingly  shown  that 
parents  in  London  (excepting  only  a  few   Jews)  do 


232      LIFE  AND  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  H.  SPURGE  ON. 

not  object  to  their  children  being  taught  daily  from 
the  word  of  God." 

"■The  Illustrated  London  News"  Mr.  Spurgeon 
writes,  "has  an  amusing  bit  from  the  pen  of  Mr. 
James  Payn:  'The  clock  let  into  Mr.  Spurgeon's 
pulpit,  presumably  with  the  object  of  timing  his 
discourses,  has  been  stolen  by  a  humorous  burglar, 
upon  the  plea  that  the  reverend  gentleman  was  less 
concerned  with  Time  than  with  Eternity.  A 
deacon,'  I  read,  'now  hands  the  great  preacher 
his  watch,  which  is  deposited  upon  his  hymn- 
book.'  If  the  burglar  is  a  constant  attendant  at 
the  Tabernacle,  and  recognizes  the  merit  of  its 
sermons,  there  is  some  excuse  for  his  conduct; 
but  in  a  general  way  it  would  be  very  hard  upon  a 
congregation  to  take  an  extempore  preacher's  clock 
away.  'As  I  turned  my  text  over  last  night,' 
said  Mr.  Spurgeon  to  his  flock  the  other  day,  'it 
appeared  to  resemble  a  gun  that  loaded  itself,  and 
kept  on  firing  as  long  as  you  liked.'  No  doubt 
they  liked  it,  but  the  misfortune  is  that,  in  the  case 
of  ot'her  divines,  the  text  goes  on  firing,  whether 
the  flock  likes  it  or  not. 

"The  burglar  put  in  no  such  plea;  but  he  stole 
two  clocks,  one  used  in  the  pulpit,  and  the  other  at 
prayer-meetings.      Did  the   abstraction  of   the  last 


PLEASANTRIES  AND   OPINIONS.  233 

give  a  license  for  long  prayer?  We  hope  not.  If 
Mr.  Payn's  informant  had  watched  carefully,  he 
would  have  seen  another  clock  on  the  table ;  but 
then  it  was  new  to  its  work,  and  speedily  stopped 
altogether — no  hint,  we  hope,  to  the  preacher  to  go 
out  for  a  long  sea-voyage,  as  the  newspaper  sug- 
gests. Any  pawnbroker  who  has  taken  in  one  of 
Benson's  chronometer  clocks,  in  a  round  brass  case, 
may  now  guess  where  it  came  from.  Thieves  are 
hard  pressed  when  they  enter  places  of  worship 
and  plunder  them  of  articles  so  likely  to  cause 
their  detention.  Two  generous  friends  have 
already  supplied  our  wants  as  to  time-keepers." 

It  is  doubtless  generally  known  by  intelligent 
Christians,  that  the  division  of  the  books  of  the 
Bible  into  chapters  and  verses  is  comparatively  a 
modern  work,  and  that  it  was  done  rather  for  con- 
venience than  to  help  the  sense.  Hence  the 
thought  is  often  interrupted  and  the  connection 
broken  to  make  the  chapters  and  the  verses  of 
reasonable  length.  Mr.  Spurgeon  accounts  for 
the  divisions  in  the  following  way:  He  thinks 
that  he  who  divided  the  Bible  into  chapters  and 
verses  must  have  been  crossing  the  English  chan- 
nel at  the  time,  and  being  in  a  chop-sea,  chopped 
off  a  verse  in  the  middle,  without  regard  to  sense, 


234      LIFE  AND  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  11.  SPURGEON. 

and  when  a  great  lurch  of  the  vessel  occurred,  cut 
off  a  chapter. 

One  of  the  keenest  replies  from,  any  source 
was  that  of  Mr.  Spurgeon  to  Rev..  Henry  Ward 
Beecher.  Mr.  Beecher  saw  fit  to  attack  Calvin- 
istic  doctrine,  affirming  that  it  was  as  useless  as 
the  ugly  hump  on  the  camel's  back.  The  great 
London  preacher,  who  is  a  staunch  defender  of 
Calvinistic  views,  replied  that  the  hump  on  the 
camel's  back,  so  far  from  being  useless,  is  abso- 
lutely necessary,  because  it  furnishes  its  owner,  as 
from  a  storehouse,  with  nourishment  and  strength 
in  its  long  journeys  through  the  desert;  so  that 
the  comparison  of  the  Brooklyn  divine  is  truer 
than  he  thought,  because  Calvinistic  doctrines  are 
the  strength  and  vigor  of  the  Christian  life  and 
character. 


FIFTIETH  ANNIVERSARY.  235 


FIFTIETH  ANNIVERSARY. 

/~\N  the  18th  of  June,  1884,  Mr.  Spurgeon  cele- 
^—■'  brated  the  50th  anniversary  of  his  birthday, 
in  the  Halborn  Tabernacle,  London.  It  was  an 
occasion  of  great  joy,  and  it  was  deemed  of  suffi- 
cient interest  to  the  new  world  by  the  secular  press 
to  have  a  full  report  of  the  proceedings  cabled 
across  and  under  the  Atlantic  to  the  American 
newspapers,  in  which  it  appeared  the  next  day. 
There  were  over  5, 000  persons  assembled  in  honor 
of  the  occasion,  and  the  greatest  enthusiasm  pre- 
vailed. Congratulations  came  from  every  quarter 
of  the  globe.  Mr.  Spurgeon  and  his  family  were 
grouped  upon  the  platform.  Mr.  Moody  was 
present  and  addressed  the  meeting,  saying  he  had 
crossed  the  Atlantic  twice  to  sit  at  Mr.  Spurgeon's 
feet  just  to  learn  from  him  how  to  preach.  Mr. 
Spurgeon  spoke  at  some  length  and  with  great 
feeling,  moving  the  audience  to  tears.  He  thanked 
his  hearers,  in  glowing  terms,  for  their  cordial  re- 
cognition. He  said,  "  Our  American  friends  are 
generally  cute  judges.  I  read  often  their  opinions 
of  me.     They  have  repeatedly  asserted  '  Spurgeon 


236      LIFE  AND  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  H.  SFURGEON. 

is  no  orator.  We  have  scores  of  better  preachers 
in  America,  but  it  is  evident  that  Spurgeon  preaches 
the  gospel,  and  the  majority  of  our  very  celebrated 
men  don't.'"  And  he  continued  to  urge  ministers 
to  preach  more  simply  and  plainly  the  pure  gospel 
of  the  grace  of  God.  And  right  here,  Mr.  Spur- 
geon's  own  words,  as  quoted  by  Dr.  Magoon,  are 
in  point: 

"A  preacher  is  not  divinely  called  and  elevated 
to  be  a  facile  weathercock,  turned  by  the  wind; 
but,  like  a  tower  of  strength,  in  scenes  of  danger 
not  less  luminous  than  resolute,  he  is  to  turn  the 
winds.  It  is  fortunate  for  the  interests  of  commerce 
that  the  pharas-keeper  is  usually  compelled,  by 
the  circumstances  of  his  position,  to  trim  his  light 
alone,  and  pour  its  effulgence  in  its  own  undictated 
style.  If  all  interested  parties,  on  sea  and  shore, 
could  but  have  their  individual  say  as  to  the  best 
mode  of  doing  the  business,  a  great  crowd  of  im- 
pertinent advisers  would  soon  extinguish  both  the 
light-master  and  his  lamps." 

The  Earl  of  Shaftsbury,  in  his  diary,  writes: 
"June  20th,  1884. — Yesterday  to  Metropolitan 
Tabernacle,  to  preside  over  grand  meeting  in 
honor  of  Spurgeon's  fiftieth  birthday.  A  wonder- 
ful   sight.     Nearly,  if   not  quite,    seven    thousand 


FIFTIETH  ANNIVERSARY.  237 

adult,  enthusiastic  souls,  crammed  even  to  suffoca- 
tion by  way  of  audience.  Felt  at  first  quite 
appalled.  Had  to  make  opening  speech.  Here 
again,  a  'non  nobis'  must  be  said  or  sung.  By  the 
blessing  of  our  Lord,  I  was,  as  everyone  said, 
equal  to  the  occasion.  Canon  Wilberforce  observed, 
'you  ought  to  bless  God  for  having  enabled  you  to 
make  such  a  speech,'  and  so  I  did,  and  so  I  do, 
and  so  I  will." 


23S      LIFE  AND  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  H.  SPURGEON. 


THE   DOWN-GRADE   CONTROVERSY. 

IN  1877,  Mr.  Spurgeon  withdrew  from  the  Baptist 
Union.  The  following,  relating  to  the  matter, 
was  cabled  by  the  New  York  Herald,  under  date 
of  London,  October  30,  1887 : 

"Never  before  could  the  Spurgeon  Tabernacle 
have  been  so  crowded  as  I  found  it  this  morning. 
Doubtless  all  American  tourists  are  acquainted  with 
the  immense  structure  on  the  Surrey  side  of  Lon- 
don. The  vast  amphitheatre  exhibited  'parterres' 
of  brilliant  toilets  and  black  coats.  The  large  side 
platform  was  also  crowded,  and  Mr.  Spurgeon 
officiated  from  another  smaller  platform.  He  grows 
stouter  every  year,  and  seemed  in  excellent  health 
and  spirits.  There  is  a  fine  organ,  but  no  choir; 
the  congregation  singing  like  an  immense  but  un- 
trained chorus. 

"Mr.  Spurgeon  spoke  as  usual,  without  notes, 
sometimes  resting  his  left  back  on  a  chair,  but 
often  stepping  forward,  grasping  the  rail,  and 
leaning  over  as  in  familiar  converse.  The  texts 
were  3  Zephaniah,  16,  17  and  18: 

"16.   In  that  day  it  shall  be  said  to  Jerusalem, 


THE  DOUX-GRADE   COXTROVERSY.  239 

Fear  thou  not;  and  to  Zion,  let  not  thine  hands  be 
slack. 

"17.  The  Lord  thy  God  in  the  midst  of  thee  is 
mighty.  He  will  save.  He  will  rejoice  over  thee 
with  joy.  He  will  rest  in  His  love.  He  will  joy 
over  thee  with  singing. 

"18.  I  will  gather  them  that  are  sorrowful  for 
the  solemn  assembly,  who  are  of  thee,  to  whom 
the  reproach  of  it  was  a  burden. 

spurgeon's  withdrawal. 

"The  great  concourse  expected  personal  refer- 
ence to  his  recent  manifesto,  but  was  greviously 
disappointed,  as  he  proceeded  without  a  single 
reference  to  himself,  except  to  say  that  on  next 
Thursday  he  would  leave  for  some  time  on  a  holi- 
day, as  his  health  was  somewhat  broken.  His  son 
was  to  take  his  place.  He  declined  to  say  where  he 
was  going,  as  he  wished  to  secure  perfect  rest. 
The  sermon  was  not  remarkable,  but  was  mainly 
based  upon  the  thesis  of  the  great  comfort  and  joy 
in  practical  religion.  After  the  sermon  certainly 
fifty  hearers  visited  the  pastor  in  his  room,  and 
nearly  all  gave  short  messages  of  comfort  and  ex- 
pressed satisfaction  with  his  recent  course. 

"Mr.  Spurgeon's  withdrawal  from  the  Baptist 
Union  caused  as  much  sensation  in  Non-conformist 
circles  as   Lord   Salisbury's   withdrawal  from  the 


240      LIFE  AND  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  II.  SPURGEOAr. 

cabinet   would    in    political    circles.     One    of    the 
organs  of  the  Established  Church  says: 

"  'It  is  a  fine  example  always  when  a  good  man 
opposes  himself  against  the  spirit  of  the  age  and 
does  battle  temperately  wilhout  angry  words. 
Whether  his  cause  be  right  or  wrong  is  of  small 
importance  when  the  instincts  of  the  hero  are 
good.  The  essential  point  is  that  he  delivers  his 
protest  and  holds  the  field  with  dignity.  Mr.  Spur- 
geon's  declaration  of  faith  is  a  model.  He  does 
not  blame  the  Union  for  harboring  errors,  because, 
so  far  as  he  can  see,  it  is  powerless  to  help  itself. 
The  preacher's  common  ^ense  is  shown  most  con- 
spicuously in  his  refusal  to  start  a  new  denomina- 
tion. He  declined  to  be  made  a  prophet  to  the 
rest.' 

A    TALK    WITH    THE    PREACHER. 

"Presently  accepting  the  correspondent's  card, 
he  said,  laughingly:  'No,  my  holiday  will  not  be 
in  America,  where  I  never  have  been  and  never 
expect  to  go,  because  I  am  too  busy  here,  but 
where  I  have  beloved  friends  and  correspondents, 
whose  approval  of  my  recent  course  I  shall  be 
glad  to  hear.' 

"Mingling  with  the  congregation  while  going 
out,  I  heard  nothing  but  expressions  of  confidence 
in  the  pastor's  course,  which  was  really  taken  with 
the  prior  approval  of  the  officers  of  the  congre- 
gation. 


THE   DOWN-GRADE    CONTROVERSY.  241 

"Dr.  John  Clifford,  vice-president  of  the  Baptist 
Union,  well  known  in  America,  was  interviewed 
to-day  on  the  subject.  He  said:  'It  is  clear  that, 
like  Luther,  Mr.  Spurgeon  feels  that  he  can  do 
naught  else  than  withdraw.  Conscience  bids  him 
and  he  obeys.  All  our  traditional  Baptist  princi- 
ples constrain  us  to  honor  Mr.  Spurgeon  for  his 
unswerving  fidelity  to  his  conviction  of  duty,  and 
to  believe  that,  though  the  act  be  for  the  moment 
unspeakably  hurtful,  yet  if  the  truth  gain  all  will 
gain,  the  Baptist  Union  included. 

MR.    SPURGEON's    POSITION. 

"Mr.  Spurgeon  accompanies  his  retirement  with 
the  following  six  allegations:  'That  some  persons 
are  allowed  to  remain  in  the  Union  who  make  light 
cf  the  Atonement,  deny  the  personality  of  the 
Holy  Ghost,  call  the  Fall  a  fable,  speak  of  Justifi- 
cation by  Faith  as  immoral,  refuse  credence  to  the 
dogma  of  the  Plenary  Inspiration  of  the  Holy 
Scriptures,  and  hold  that  there  is  another  proba- 
tion after  death,  with  possibilities  of  a  future  resti- 
tution of  the  lost.  Mr.  Spurgeon  says  all  unions 
begin  to  look  like  confederacies  of  evil.  This  is 
a  grave  charge,  indeed.'" 

The    "controversy"   upon    the    "Down    Grade" 


242      LIFE  AND  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  H.  SPURGEON. 

began  in  an  article  from  the  pen  of  Mr.  Spurgeon, 
published  in  The  Sword  and  the  Trowel,  for  August 
1887.  This  article  created  a  great  and  wide-spread 
sensation,  and  was  opposed  by  some,  and  affirmed 
by  many.  The  first  article  was  followed  by  others 
written  by  Mr.  Spurgeon,  which  appeared  in  the 
September,  October,  and  November  numbers  of  the 
same  magazine.  The  "Down  Grade  Controversy," 
as  far  as  it  is  contained  in  the  articles  mentioned, 
we  give  at  the  close  of  this  biography. 

It  seems  that  Mr.  Spurgeon  charged  that  some 
of  the  ministers  of  the  British  Baptist  Union  were 
not  evangelical  in  doctrine,  and  urged  that  the 
"Union"  should  separate  from  those  who  denied 
the  divinity  and  atonement  of  our  Lord,  and  the 
truth  and  inspirition  of  the  scriptures,  and  who 
held  also  to  other  views  regarded  as  heterodox  by 
evangelical  Christians. 

The  Baptist  Union  is  composed  not  only  of 
Baptists,  but  of  Baptists  and  Congregationalists. 
Mr.  Spurgeon  asserted  that  these  heresies  were 
held  mostly  by  ministers  of  the  Congregational 
denomination,  but  that  even  some  of  his  Baptist 
brethren  had  fallen  into  these  errors.  Mr.  Spurgeon 
did  not  accuse  all  of  the  members  of  the  ''Union," 
but    contended   that  the  orthodox  majority  should 


THE  DOWN-GRADE   CONTROVERSY.  243 

withdraw  from  the  heterodox  minority;  if  they  did 
not,  then  he  must. 

It  was  not  long  before  the  London  Baptist  Asso- 
ciation became  involved  in  the  controversy,  and 
Mr.  Spurgeon,  under  the  head  of  "Attempts  at  the 
Impossible ,"  wrote  as  follows: 

"Friends  will  have  noticed  with  interest  the 
repeated  debates  in  the  London  Baptist  Association, 
as  to  whether  there  should  be  'a  credal  basis,'  and 
what  that  basis  should  be  if  it  were  decided  to  have 
one.  There  seems  to  be  a  current  opinion  that  I 
have  been  at  the  bottom  of  all  this  controversy,  and 
if  I  have  not  appeared  in  it,  I  have  at  least  pulled 
the  wires.  But  this  is  not  true.  I  have  taken  a 
deep  interest  in  the  struggles  of  the  orthodox 
brethren,  but  I  have  never  advised  those  struggles, 
nor  entertained  the  slightest  hope  of  their  success. 
My  course  has  been  of  another  kind.  As  soon  as 
I  saw,  or  thought  I  saw,  that  error  had  become 
firmly  established,  I  did  not  deliberate,  but  quitted 
the  body  at  once.  Since  then  my  counsel  has 
been,  'Come  ye  out  from  among  them.' 

"I  never  offered  the  Union,  or  the  Association, 
the  arrogant  bribe  of  personal  return  if  a  creed 
should  be  adopted;  but,  on  the  contrary,  I  told  the 
deputation  from  the  Union  that  I  should  not  return 


244      LIFE  AND  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  H.  SPURGEON". 

unti]  I  had  seen  how  matters  went,  and  I  declined 
to  mix  up  my  own  personal  action  with  the  con- 
sideration of  a  question  of  vital  importance  to  the 
community.  I  never  sought  from  the  Association 
the  consideration  of  'a  credal  basis/  but,  on  the 
contrary,  when  offered  that  my  resignation  might 
stand  over  till  such  a  consideration  had  taken 
place,  I  assured  the  brethren  that  what  I  had  done 
was  final,  and  did  not  depend  upon  their  action  in 
the  matter  of  a  creed. 

"There  are  now  two  parties  in  the  religious 
world.  *  *  *  The  party  everywhere  apparent 
has  a  faith  fashioned  for  the  present  century — per- 
haps we  ought  rather  to  say,  for  the  present  month. 
The  sixteenth  century  gospel  it  derides,  and  that, 
indeed,  of  every  period,  except  the  present  most 
enlightened  era.  It  will  have  no  creed,  because  it 
can  have  none ;  it  is  continually  on  the  move ;  it  is 
not  what  it  was  yesterday,  and  it  will  not  be  to- 
morrow what  it  is  to-day.  Its  shout  is  for  'liberty,' 
its  delight  is  invention,  its  element  is  change.  On 
the  other  hand,  there  still  survive,  amid  the  blaze 
of  nineteenth  century  light,  a  few  whom  these 
superior  persons  call  'fossils;'  that  is  to  say,  there 
are  believers  in  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  who  consider 
that  the  true  gospel  is  no  new  gospel,  but  is  the 


THE  DOWN-GRADE    CONTROVERSY.  245 

same  yesterday,  to-day,  and  forever.  These  do 
not  believe  in  'advanced  views,'  but  judge  that  the 
view  of  truth  which  saved  a  soul  in  the  second 
century  will  save  a  soul  now,  and  that  a  form  of 
teaching  which  was  unknown  till  the  last  few  years 
is  of  very  dubious  value,  and  is,  in  all  probability, 
'another  gospel'  which  is  not  another. 

"It  is  extremely  difficult  for  these  two  parties  to 
abide  in  union.  The  old  fable  of  the  collier  who 
went  home  to  dwell  with  the  fuller  is  nothing  to  it. 
*  *  *  How  can  his  friend  deal  with  him  since 
he  changes  with  the  moon?  If,  after  long  balanc- 
ing of  words,  the  two  parties  could  construct  a  basis 
of  agreement,  it  would,  in  the  nature  of  things,  last 
only  for  a  season,  since  the  position  of  the  advanc- 
ing party  would  put  the  whole  settlement  out  of 
order  in  a  few  weeks.  One  could  hardly  invent  a 
sliding  scale  in  theology,  as  Sir  Robert  Peel  did  in 
corn  duties. 

"Nor  is  it  merely  doctrinal  belief — there  is  an 
essential  difference  in  spirit  between  the  old  believer 
and  the  man  of  new  and  advancing  views.  This 
is  painfully  perceived  by  the  Christian  man  before 
very  long.  Even  if  he  be  fortunate  enough  to  escape 
the  sneers  of  the  cultured,  and  the  jests  of  the 
philosophical,  he  will  find  his  deepest  convictions 


246     LIFE  AND  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  H.  SPURGEON. 

questioned,  and  his  brightest  beliefs  misrepresented 
by  those  who  dub  themselves  'thoughtful  men.' 
When  a  text  from  the  Word  has  been  particularly 
precious  to  his  heart,  he  will  hear  its  authenticity 
impugned,  the  translation  disputed,  or  its  gospel 
reference  denied.  He  will  not  travel  far  on  the 
dark  continent  of  modern  thought  before  he  will  find 
the  efficacy  of  prayer  debated,  the  operation  of 
Divine  Providence  questioned,  and  the  special  love 
of  God  denied.  He  will  find  himself  a  stranger  in 
a  strange  land  when  he  begins  to  speak  of  his 
experience,  and  of  the  ways  of  God  to  man.  In 
all  probability  if  he  be  faithful  to  the  old  faith,  he 
will  be  an  alien  to  his  mother's  children,  and  find 
that  his  soul  is  among  lions.  To  what  end,  there- 
fore, are  these  strainings  after  a  hollow  unity,  when 
the  spirit  of  fellowship  is  altogether  gone? 

"At  any  rate,  cost  what  it  may,  to  separate  our- 
selves from  those  who  separate  themselves  from 
the  truth  of  God,  is  not  alone  our  liberty,  but  our 
duty. 

11  Let  the  Union  tell  the  world  what  it  believes," 
demanded  Mr.  Spurgeon.  "  Is  this  Union  to  have 
an  evangelical  basis  or  not?  " 

The  following  is  the  reply  of  the  committee  oi 
the  Union  to  Mr.  Spurgeon's  charges : 


THE  DOWN-GRADE    CONTROVERSY.  247 

"We  have  learned  with  extreme  regret  that  our 
dear  friend  and  fellow-laborer,  Rev.  C.  H.  Spur- 
geon,  has  withdrawn  from  membership  in  the  Bap- 
tist Union. 

"We  heartily  agree  with  Mr.  Spurgeon  m  re- 
garding disloyalty  to  Christ  and  His  Gospel  as 
inconsistent  with  membership  in  the  Baptist  Union. 
From  the  beginning,  the  Union  has  been  an  asso- 
ciation of  evangelical  churches  for  evangelical  pur- 
poses, and  this  is  as  true  now  as  in  any  period  of 
its  history.  In  baptism,  we  make  profession  of 
our  faith  in  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  and  take  our 
place  among  His  disciples;  we  are  baptized  'into 
the  name  of  the  Father,  the  Son,  and  Holy  Spirit;' 
and  we  avow  our  readiness  to  learn  and  observe 
'all  things  whatsoever  Christ  has  commanded.' 
In  the  Lord's  Supper,  we  show  forth  His  death  and 
gratefully  receive  His  word:  'This  is  My  body, 
*  *  *  this  is  My  blood  of  the  New  Testament, 
which  is  shed  for  many  for  the  remission  of  sins.' 
If  any  one  renouhces  the  profession  made  in  bap- 
tism and  the  Lord's  Supper,  he  has  no  longer  a 
legitimate  place  in  the  Union. 

"According  to  the  rules  of  the  Union,  'the  con- 
stituencies and  list  of  members  may  be  revised  by 
the  council,  and  their  decision  shall  be  duly  noti- 
fied to  the  persons  concerned,  who  shall  have  the 


248     LIFE  AND  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  II.  SPURGEOiV. 

right  of  appeal  to  the  assembly.'     The  Union  has 
exercised  this  power  in  past  days. 

"This  power  of  revision  must  be  exercised  in 
conformity  with  the  fundamental  principle  of  the 
Union,  'that  every  separate  church  has  liberty  to 
interpret  and  administer  the  laws  of  Christ,  and 
that  the  immersion  of  believers  is  the  only  Christian 
baptism.'  We  feel  that  the  imposition  of  theologi- 
cal tests  or  a  human  creed  would  contravene  this 
fundamental  principal  and  defeat  the  objects  of  the 
Union,  which  are  declared  to  be,  'To  cultivate 
among  its  own  members  respect  and  love  for  one 
another,  and  to  spread  the  Gospel  of  Christ  in 
Great  Britain  and  Ireland.' 

"While  we  differ  from  Mr.  Spurgeon  in  the  step 
he  has  taken,  we  are  at  one  with  him  in  loyalty  to 
Christ,  in  love  for  the  gospel,  and  in  earnest  long- 
ing of  heart  that  it  may  be  preached  in  simplicity, 
uncorruptness,  fullness  and  power,  in  all  the  pul- 
pits of  the  land,  with  the  Holy  Ghost  sent  down 
from  heaven;  and  we  rejoice  that,  though  he  has 
withdrawn  from  the  Union,  we   shall  continue  to 
enjoy  fellowship  and  engage  in  service  with  him 
as  members  of  the  same  denomination. 
"John  Aldis, 
"Joseph  Angus, 
"Alexander  Maclaren." 


THE  DOWN-GRADE   CONTROVERSY.  249 

To  the  action  of  the  Union,  Mr.  Spurgeon  replied 
in  The  Sword  and  the  Trowel  for  June,  1888:  "It 
was  no  small  comfort  to  see  the  Baptist  Union 
anxious  to  clear  itself,  and  to  make  peace.  I 
hoped  that  in  this  happy  frame  of  mind  it  would 
do  something  which  would  mend  matters,  and 
therefore,  in  all  haste,  I  retracted  my  prophesy 
that  it  would  do  nothing  at  all.  But  what  has  it 
clone?  The  resolution,  with  its  foot  note,  with  the 
interpretation  of  its  moves,  and  the  re-election  of 
the  old  council,  fairly  represent  the  utmost  that 
would  be  done  when  everybody  was  in  his  best 
humor.  Is  it  satisfactory?  Does  anybody  under- 
stand it  in  the  same  sense  as  anybody  else?  Does 
not  the  whole  virtue  of  the  thing  lie  in  its  pleasing 
both  sides  a  little?  And  is  not  this  the  vice  and 
condemnation  of  it? 

"I  am  not,  however,  careful  to  criticise  the  action 
of  a  body  from  which  I  am  now  finally  divided. 
My  course  has  been  made  clear  of  what  has  been 
done.  I  was  afraid  from  the  beginning  that  the 
reform  of  the  Baptist  Union  was  hopeless,  and, 
therefore,  I  resigned.  I  am  far  more  sure  of  it 
now,  and  should  never,  under  any  probable  cir- 
cumstances, dream  of  returning.  Those  who 
think     it     right    to    remain    in    such    a    fellowship 


250      LIFE  A. YD  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  II.  SPURGEON. 

will  do  so,  but  there  are  a  few  others  who  will 
judge  differently,  and  will  act  upon  their  convic- 
tions. At  any  rate,  whether  any  others  do  so  or 
not,  I  have  felt  the  power  of  the  text,  '  Come  out 
from  among  them,  and  be  ye  separate,'  and  have 
quitted  both  union  and  association  once  for  all. 
The  next  step  may  not  be  quite  so  clear;  but  this 
is  forced  upon  me,  not  only  by  my  convictions, 
but  also  by  the  experience  of  the  utter  uselessness 
of  attempting  to  deal  with  the  evil  except  by  per- 
sonally coming  out  from  it. 

"The  instinct  of  the  gracious  life  is  to  seek 
congenial  communion,  and  hence  the  necessity  of 
some  form  of  fellowship  for  ourselves,  and  our 
churches  will  suggest  itself  to  those  who  sorrow- 
fully come  forth  from  the  old  camp." 

Mr.  Spurgeon's  course  in  withdrawing,  with  his 
church,  from  the  union  and  the  association,  was  by 
some  severely  criticized,  but  others  sent  words  of 
sympathy  and  encouragement.  These  came  from 
those  at  home  and  abroad,  from  persons  and  from 
religious  bodies. 

In  June,  1888,  the  Nova  Scotia  Western  Baptist 
Association  passed,  unanimously,  a  resolution  of 
approval,  and  the  General  Association  of  Ken- 
tucky, U.  S.,  did  the  same;  both  resolutions  being 
sent  to  Mr.  Spurgeon. 


THE  DOWN-GRADE   CONTROVERSY.  251 

The  most  remarkable  words  of  commendation 
were  doubtless  those  of  Henry  Varley,  in  a  per- 
sonal letter  to  the  editor  of  "  Word  and  Work." 

Henry  Varley  says:  "The  discussion  which  has 
taken  place  during  my  absence  from  England,  is, 
in  my  judgment,  of  the  very  first  importance,  and 
I  regret  exceedingly  that  I  was  not  here  to  express 
my  hearty  sympathy  with  Mr.  Spurgeon,  and  those 
who  have  taken  part  in  the  defence  of  the  gospel 
of  Christ. 

"There  is  great  danger  lest  the  important  issues 
which  have  been  raised  by  the  '  down-grade  '  con- 
troversy should,  in  the '  interests  of  peace  and 
union,  be  diminished  and  made  light  of.  The 
mental  activities  of  the  present  time  are  not  favor- 
able to  holding  firmly  the  Word  of  God.  Revela- 
tion, which  is  unchanging,  is  not  fast  enough  for 
an  age  of  which  it  has  been  said,  'change  is  its 
fashion.'  All  the  more  necessary,  therefore,  does 
it  become  to  'hold  fast  the  form  of  sound  words,' 
and  contend  earnestly,  not  for  what  some  have 
called  a  mechanical  system  of  interpretation,  but 
'for  the  faith  once  for  all  delivered  to  the  saints.' 

"We  ought  not  to  forget,  face  to  face  as  we  are 
with  thousands  of  volumes  filled  with  corrupt  and 
false    thought    on   almost    every   subject,   that    the 


252      LIFE  AND  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  II.  SPURGEOM. 

prolific  chamber  for  the  conception  and  birth  of 
false  thought  is  the  human  mind,  whenever  it 
refuses  the  limit,  discipline  and  guidance  of  the 
fundamental  principles  of  the  Word  of  God. 

"It  is  the  faith  of  Christ  which  is  persistently 
attacked,  and  which  we  intend  persistently  to  de- 
fend. 

"Take  a  case  in  a  Northern  town:  A  Congrega- 
tional minister,  conversing  with  one  of  his 
brethren,  said,  in  reference  to  his  approaching 
Sunday-school  anniversary,  'I  select  the  hymns;  I 
do  not  leave  it  to  my  superintendent  or  teachers.' 
'Why  not?'  was  the  enquiry.  'Well,'  was  this 
false  teacher's  reply,  'very  likely  they  would  select 
hymns  that  I  object  to  have  sung  in  my  church.' 
'Why,  what  hymns  do  you  refer  to?'  enquired  the 
brother  minister.  'Well,'  was  the  Congregational 
minister's  reply,  'such  hymns  as  "Rock  of  Ages 
cleft  for  me,"  or  "Jesus,  Lover  of  my  soul,"  or 
"There  is  a  fountain  filled  with  blood;"  I  am  not 
going  to  have  such  hymns  sung  in  my  church.' 

"Now,  sir,  I  fear  the  Congregational  Union  is 
powerless  to  deal  with  this  deceiver.  There  can- 
not be  room  to  doubt  that,  if  this  man  had  told  the 
church  of  which  he  is  the  pastor  that  he  would 
not  have  these  hymns  sung,  he  would  never  have 


THE  DOWN-GRADE    CONTROVERSY.  253 

Deen  elected  as  minister.  The  unfailing  Word 
describes  this  dishonest  deceiver  to  the  life:  'But 
there  were  false  prophets  also  among  the  people, 
as  among  you  also  there  shall  be  false  teachers, 
who  shall  privily  bring  in  damnable  heresies, 
denying  even  the  Master  that  bought  them,  bringing 
upon  themselves  swift  destruction.'    (2  Peter,  2:  1.) 

"Separation,  in  my  judgment,  in  Mr.  Spur- 
geon's  case,  was  wise  and  right."  "Mr.  Spur- 
geon's  protest  has  been  most  timely."  "Should 
any  suppose  that  Mr.  Spurgeon  has  been  worsted 
in  this  conflict,  let  him  think  this  again,  that  it  is 
easy  to  be  deceived  by  appearances." 

In  The  Sword  and  the  Trowel ',  for  January,  1888, 
Mr.  Spurgeon  gives  some  statistics  which  show  the 
strength  of  his  position,  as  far  as  work  for  man  and 
Christ  is  concerned:  The  370  pastors  of  the  col- 
lege had,  during  the  year,  baptised  4,770  persons, 
and  the  clear  increase  in  their  church  membership 
had  been  3,856;  while  the  Baptist  Union,  with 
1,860  pastors  and  2,764  churches,  reports  an  in- 
crease of  1,770  members  for  the  year,  or  much 
less  than  half  the  increase  recorded  by  the  brethren 
of  the  college  alone.  "Leaving  them  out  of  the 
calculation,  the  rest  of  the  denomination  has  de- 
creased more  than  2,000  during  the  past  twelve 
months." 


254      LIFE  AND  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  H.  SPURGEOX. 

But  the  question  has  been  asked,  repeatedly, 
"What  this  withdrawal  means?  "  and,  "Does  it 
mean  separation  from  the  Baptist  denomination?" 
and,  "Will  he  and  his  church  unite  with  some 
other  Christian  denomination?"  and  "Will  he 
start  a  new  denomination?"  These,  and  many- 
such  questions,  have  been  asked  and  answered. 
And  Mr.  Spurgeon  answers  all  these  questions  by 
the  actions  of  himself  and  his  church. 

In  The  Sword  and  the  Troivel  for  December, 
1888,  Mr.  Spurgeon  writes:  "That  the  Editor  has 
just  become  a  personal  member  of  the  Surrey  and 
Middlesex  Baptist  Association  does  not  seem  to  us 
such  a  very  marvelous  event;  but  those  who  want 
something  to  write  about,  and  especially  something 
to  magnify  and  cavil  over,  have  opened  their  eyes 
to  this  incident.  If  we  can  aid  the  faithful  brethren 
of  this  association  in  spreading  the  gospel  of  the 
Lord  Jesus,  it  will  afford  us  pleasure.  Living  in 
one  of  the  two  counties  from  which  the  association 
is  named,  and  agreeing  in  heart  and  soul  with  the 
members  of  it,  it  seems  but  natural  to  unite  with 
them.  We  hope  this  means  good  to  some;  we 
don't  see  how  it  can  bring  harm  to  any.  One 
would  fancy  that  we  had  always  a  dark  conspiracy 
on  hand.     Courage,  friends!     We  have  no  policy, 


THE  DOWN-GRADE    CONTROVERSY.  255 

no  secret  agency,  no  ability  to  devise  far-ireaching 
schemes!  You  see  all,  and  what  you  see  is  not 
much . 

"There  can  be  no  doubt  that  a  considerable 
number  of  brethren  will  leave  the  London  Baptist 
Association,  but  what  they  will  next  do  we  will  not 
reveal  to  our  readers,  because  we  do  not  know. 
Perhaps  they  will  form  themselves  into  a  body, 
which  will  become  the  center  and  rallying  point 
of  all  those  in  London  who  are  determined  to  hold 
fast  the  form  of  sound  words,  and  maintain  the 
faith  once  for  all  delivered  to  the  saints.  The 
Lord  be  pleased  to  guide  His  servants  at  this  crit- 
ical moment." 

In  the  step  he  took  in  leaving  the  Baptist  Union 
and  the  London  Association,  and  uniting  with  the 
Surrey  and  Middlesex  Baptist  Association,  the 
pastor  of  Metropolitan  Tabernacle  was  followed  by 
his  church.  At  the  close  of  the  prayer  meeting, 
Monday,  Maj'  5,  1890,  a  large  number  of  the 
members  of  the  Tabernacle  Church  met  in  the 
lecture-room,  where  a  special  church  meeting  was 
held  for  the  purpose  of  deciding  whether  the 
church  should  apply  for  admission  to  The  Surrey 
and  Middlesex  Baptist  Association.  After 
a  brief  explanation  by  the   pastor,  the   necessary 


256     LIFE  AND  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  H.  SPURGEON. 

resolution  was  unanimously  and  enthusiastically 
passed,  and  the  delegates  were  elected  for  the 
forthcoming  meeting  at  Guildford.  The  editor  of 
The  Sword  and  the  Trowel  adds :  ' '  The  church 
is  glad  to  hold  itself  in  communion  with  other 
churches  of  like  faith  and  order,  without  com- 
mitting itself  to  an  indiscriminate  confederacy  of 
the  sort  typified  in  the  Baptist  Union.  Our  object 
is  not  opposition,  but  testimony." 

The  delegates  appointed  went  to  the  meeting  of 
the  association  at  Guildford,  May  20,  and  were 
received  into  the  association.  Rev.  J.  A.  Spur- 
geon  was  elected  moderator  of  the  association,  and 
Rev.  C.  H.  Spurgeon  preached  the  sermon  "to  a 
packed  mass  of  humanity,  in  the  county  hall." 

Mr.  Spurgeon  sees  in  this  movement  a  new  oppor- 
tunity for  good  and  a  new  field  of  usefulness  for 
his  own  and  other  strong  London  churches.  He 
writes:  "The  churches  of  this  association  are 
united  in  the  truth,  and  are  knit  together  in  love; 
but  most  of  the  churches  are  needy,  either  through 
having  newly  built  a  chapel,  or  having  soon  to  do 
so,  or  through  the  smallness  of  the  church  itself. 
This  is  of  small  consequence,  for  the  Lord  can 
work  by  our  need  as  well  as  by  our  wealth;  but 
friends  who  have  substance,  and  take  an  interest  in 


THE  DOWN-GRADE    CONTROVERSY.  257 

Surrey,  Middlesex,  and  the  suburban  counties, 
would  do  well  to  send  aid  to  the  struggling  com- 
munities, which  find  it  hard  to  do  their  work. 
Other  churches  in  London  will,  we  trust,  unite 
with  this  faithful  association,  and  strengthen 
its  hands  in  the  Lord's  work.  But  this  is  a  matter 
which  each  one  must  weigh  for  himself." 

It  has  often  been  said  that  trouble  never  comes 
alone.  This  old  adage  was  strikingly  exemplified 
in  the  case  of  Mr.  Spurgeon  at  this  time.  This 
controversy  gave  him  no  small  trouble.  From  the 
first  he  shrank  from  it  and  its  consequences.  He 
wrote  to  a  friend:  "I  am  anxious  to  have  nothing 
said  which  can  trouble  our  friends  or  cause  dis- 
cord. A  few  heedless  persons  would  be  glad  to 
see  strife;  but  I  can  differ  and  not  quarrel." 

But  while  in  the  very  height  of  this  "  contro- 
versy," more  trouble  was  in  store  for  him.  He 
writes,  June,  1888:  "Mrs.  John  Spurgeon,  our 
mother,  fell  asle&p  in  the  morning  of  May  23,  at 
Hastings.  She  rests  from  pain  and  weakness  of 
many  years,  at  the  age  of  73.  May  her  beloved 
husband  be  sustained  under  this  heavy  trial !  Pray 
for  him." 

In  addition  to  this  affliction,  which  was  very 
great  to  her  son,  Mr.  C.  H.  Spurgeon,   his  own 


258      LIFE  AND  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  JJ.  SPURGEON. 

beloved  wife  became  ill  again,  so  that  even  letter 
reading  connected  with  the  noble  work  of  the 
Book  Fund,  became  a  burden  and  an  impossibility. 

And  Mr.  Spurgeon's  own  health  gave  way  so 
that  he  was  ordered  to  suspend  all  labors  and  go 
from  home  for  rest. 

Mr.  Spurgeon  refers  to  his  troubles  rather  cheer- 
fully in  The  Sword  and  the  Trowel  for  December, 
1888:  "We  have  had  a  stormy  voyage  of  late, 
both  for  our  own  barque  and  for  our  consort. 
However,  we  are  not  wrecked,  but  have  seen  the 
works  of  the  Lord,  and  His  wonders  in  the  deep. 
Long  has  our  motto  been :  '  I  have  chosen  Thee 
in  the  furnace  of  affliction,'  and  it  proves  itself  to 
be  true.  In  the  present  instance  it  must  be  well, 
but  the  furnace  has  been  fiercely  hot;  and  besides 
the  dross  which  we  hope  we  have  parted  with,  we 
have  certainly  lost  a  great  deal  of  strength,  which 
it  will  take  us  long  to  recover.  We  cannot  get 
better  until  we  are  in  another  climate,  and  we  can- 
not reach  that  other  climate  till  we  get  better. 
There  will  be  a  way  round  this  corner.  Our  grief 
is,  that  we  have  been  out  of  our  pulpit  and  away 
from  our  pastoral  work,  during  the  three  weeks 
we  hoped  would  have  made  the  home  vessel  trim 
and  tight,  and  prepared  the  crew  to  bear  the  cap- 
tain's absence." 


THE  DOIWY-GRADE    CONTROVERSY.  259 

The  London  Graphic  for  November  15,  1890, 
publishes  a  portrait  of  Mr.  Spurgeon  in  his  pulpit, 
occupying  a  full  page  of  the  paper,  and  says  of  his 
work:  "Everything  is  sustained  by  voluntary 
efforts,  and  under  God,  are  all  the  outcome  of  the 
ministry,  the  genius,  the  irrepressible  earnestness 
of  one  man.  During  all  these  years,  Mr.  Spur- 
geon has  never  changed  his  views,  though  his 
method  of  setting  them  forth  may  have  been 
modified.  Amid  frequent  attacks  of  illness,  of 
agonizing  pain,  and  under  the  pressure  of  many 
trials,  he  has  held  on  his  way,  spending  and  being 
spent  to  advance  the  Master's  kingdom. 

''The  attitude  of  the  general  public  towards  him 
has  greatly  changed  since  the  first.  Whether  men 
agree  with  his  Calvinistic  doctrines  or  not,  all 
admire,  most  esteem,  and  people  of  all  denomina- 
tions love  him.  Perhaps  there  is  no  man  or  woman 
living  whose  death  would  be  a  greater  loss  to  the 
church  and  to  the  world." 

Not  a  year  has  elapsed  since  these  words  were 
published,  and,  while  we  write,  Mr.  Spurgeon  is 
experiencing  the  most  critical  illness  of  his  life. 
By  means  of  telegram  and  cablegram  the  Christian 
world  is  at  his  bed-side  daily,  and  the  prayers  of 
God's  people  everywhere  are  unceasingly  offered 


260      LIFE  AND  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  II.  SPURGEON. 

for  his  recovery  and  the  prolongation  of  his  valu- 
able life.  He  is  now  in  his  prime,  and  the  hope 
is,  life  may  long  be  spared.  The  following  cable- 
gram appears  in  the  secular  papers,  dated  London, 
July  19,  1891: 

"Mr.  Gladstone,  in  a  letter  to  Mrs.  Spurgeon, 
says:  '  In  my  own  home,  darkened  at  the  present 
time,  I  read  with  sad  interest  the  accounts  of  Mr. 
Spurgeon's  illness.  I  cannot  help  conveying  to 
you  an  earnest  assurance  of  my  sympathy  and  of 
my  cordial  admiration  not  only  for  his  splendid 
powers,  but  still  more  for  his  devoted  and  unfailing 
character.'  " 


THE  DOWN-GRADE.  261 


Reprinted  from  "  The  Sword  and  the  Trowel,"  August,  September, 
October  and  November,  1887. 


Also   his  Article  on  the  "Down-Grade"  and 
Up-Grade,  from  the  same  Magazine. 


THE  DOWN-GRADE. 

No  lover  of  the  gospel  can  conceal  from  himself  the  fact 
that  the  days  are  evil.  We  are  willing  to  make  a  large 
discount  from  our  apprehensions  on  the  score  of  natural 
timidity,  the  caution  of  age,  and  the  weakness  produced  by 
pain  ;  but  yet  our  solemn  conviction  is  that  things  are  much 
worse  in  many  churches  than  they  seem  to  be,  and  are 
rapidly  tending  downward.  Read  those  newspapers  which 
represent  the  Broad  School  of  Dissent,  and  ask  yourself, 
How  much  further  could  they  go?  What  doctrine  remains 
to  be  abandoned  ?  What  other  truth  to  be  the  object  of 
contempt?  A  new  religion  has  been  initiated,  which  is  no 
more  Christianity  than  chalk  is  cheese;  and  this  religion, 
being  destitute  of  moral  honesty,  palms  itself  off  as  the  old 
faith  with  slight  improvements,  and  on  this  plea  usurps 
pulpits  which  were  erected  for  gospel  preaching.  The 
Atonement  is  scouted,  the  inspiration  of  Scripture  is  de- 
rided, the  Holy  Ghost  is  degraded  into  an  influence,  the 
punishment  of  sin  is  turned  into  fiction,  and  the  Resurrection 
into  a  myth,  and  yet  these  enemies  of  our  faith  expect  us  to 
call  them  brethren,  and  maintain  a  confederacy  with  them ! 

At  the  back  of  doctrinal  falsehood  comes  a  natural  decline 


262     LIFE  AND  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  H.  SPURGEON. 

of  spiritual  life,  evidenced  by  a  taste  for  questionable  amuse- 
ments, and  a  weariness  of  devotional  meetings.  At  a  certain 
meeting  of  ministers  and  church-officers,  one  after  another 
doubted  the  value  of  prayer-meetings;  all  confessed  that 
they  had  a  very  small  attendance,  and  several  acknowl- 
edged without  the  slightest  compunction  that  they  had  quite 
given  them  up.  What  means  this  ?  Are  churches  in  a  right 
condition  when  they  have  only  one  meeting  for  prayer  in  a 
week,  and  that  a  mere  skeleton  ?  Churches  which  have 
prayer-meetings  several  times  on  the  Lord's  day,  and  very 
frequently  during  the  week,  yet  feel  their  need  of  more 
prayer;  but  what  can  be  said  of  those  who  very  seldom 
practice  united  supplication  ?  Are  there  few  conversions  ? 
Do  the  congregations  dwindle  ?  Who  wonders  that  this  is 
the  case  when  the  spirit  of  prayer  has  departed  ? 

As  for  questionable  amusements,  time  was  when  a  Non- 
conformist minister  who  was  known  to  attend  the  play-house 
would  soon  have  found  himself  without  a  church.  And  justly 
so ;  for  no  man  can  long  possess  the  confidence,  even  of  the 
most  worldly,  who  is  known  to  be  a  haunter  of  theatres. 
Yet,  at  the  present  time,  it  is  a  matter  of  notoriety  that 
preachers  of  no  mean  repute  defend  the  play-house,  and  do 
so  because  they  have  been  seen  there.  Is  it  any  wonder 
that  church  members  forget  their  vows  of  consecration,  and 
run  with  the  unholy  in  the  ways  of  frivolity,  when  they  hear 
that  persons  are  tolerated  in  the  pastorate  who  do  the  same? 
We  doubt  not  that,  for  writing  these  lines,  we  shall  incur  the 
charge  of  prudery  and  bigotry,  and  this  will  but  prove  how 
low  are  the  tone  and  spirit  of  the  churches  in  many  places. 
The  fact  is,  that  many  would  like  to  unite  church  and  stage, 
cards  and  prayer,  dancing  and  sacraments.  If  we  are  pow- 
erless to  stem  this  torrent,  we  can  at  least  warn  men  of  its 
existence,  and  entreat  them  to  keep  out  of  it.  When  the 
old  faith  is  gone,  and  enthusiasm  for  the  gospel  is  extinct, 
it  is  no  wonder  that  people  seek  something  else  in  the  way 
of  delight.  Lacking  bread,  they  feed  on  ashes ;  rejecting 
the  way  of  the  Lord,  they  run  greedily  in  the  path  of  folly. 

An  eminent  minister,  who  is  well  versed  in  the  records  of 
Nonconformity,  remarked  to  us  the  other  day  that  he  feared 


THE   DOWN-GRADE.  263 

history  was  about  to  repeat  itself  among  Dissenters.  In 
days  gone  by,  they  aimed  at  being  thought  respectable, 
judicious,  moderate,  and  learned,  and,  in  consequence,  they 
abandoned  the  Puritanic  teaching  with  which  they  started, 
and  toned  down  their  doctrines.  The  spiritual  life  which 
had  been  the  impelling  cause  of  their  dissent  declined  almost 
to  death's  door,  and  the  very  existence  of  evangelical  Non- 
conformity was  threatened.  Then  came  the  outburst  of  liv- 
ing godliness  under  Whitefield  and  Wesley,  and  with  it  new 
life  for  Dissent,  and  increased  influence  in  every  direction. 

Alas!  many  are  returning  to  the  poisoned  cups  which 
drugged  that  declining  generation,  when  it  surrendered 
itself  to  Unitarian  lethargy.  Too  many  ministers  are  toying 
with  the  deadly  cobra  of  "another  gospel,"  in  the  form  of 
"modern  thought."  As  a  consequence,  their  congregations 
are  thinning  .  the  more  spiritual  of  their  members  join  the 
"Brethren,"  or  some  other  company  of  "believers  unat- 
tached;" while  the  more  wealthy,  and  show-loving,  with 
some  of  the  unquestionable  devoutness,  go  off  to  the  Church 
of  England. 

Let  us  not  hide  from  ourselves  the  fact  that  the  Episcopal 
Church  is  awake,  and  is  full  of  zeal  and  force.  Dissenting 
as  we  do  most  intensely  from  her  ritualism,  and  especially 
abhorring  her  establishment  by  the  State,  we  cannot  but 
perceive  that  she  grows,  and  grows,  among  other  reasons, 
because  spiritual  life  is  waning  among  certain  dissenters. 
Where  the  gospel  is  fully  and  powerfully  preached,  with  the 
Holy  Ghost  sent  down  from  heaven,  our  churches  not  only 
hold  their  own,  but  win  converts  ;  but  when  that  which  con- 
stitutes their  strength  is  gone — we  mean  when  the  gospel  is 
concealed,  and  the  life  of  prayer  is  slighted — the  whole 
thing  becomes  a  mere  form  and  fiction.  For  this  thing  our 
heart  is  sore  grieved.  Dissent  for  mere  dissent's  sake  would 
be  the  bitter  fruit  of  a  wilful  mind.  Dissent  as  mere  politi- 
cal partisanship  is  a  degradation  and  travesty  of  religion. 
Dissent  for  truth's  sake,  carried  out  by  force  of  the  life 
within,  is  noble,  praiseworthy,  and  fraught  with  the  highest 
benefits  to  the  race.  Are  we  to  have  the  genuine  living 
thing,  or  are  we  to  have  that  corruption  of  the  best,  from 


264      LIFE  AND  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  H.  SPURGEON. 

which  the  worst  is  produced  ?  Conformity,  or  nonconform- 
ity, per  se,  is  nothing  ;  but  a  new  creature  is  everything,  and 
the  truth  upon  which  alone  that  new  creature  can  live  is 
worth  dying  a  thousand  deaths  to  conserve.  It  is  not 
the  shell  that  is  so  precious,  but  the  kernel  which  it  con- 
tains ;  when  the  kernel  is  gone,  what  is  there  left  that  is 
worth  a  thought?  Our  nonconformity  is  beyond  measure 
precious  as  a  vital  spiritual  force,  but  only  while  it  remains 
such  will  it  justify  its  own  existence. 

The  case  is  mournful.  Certain  ministers  are  making  infi- 
dels. Avowed  atheists  are  not  a  tenth  as  dangerous  as  those 
preachers  who  scatter  doubt  and  stab  at  faith.  A  plain  man 
told  us  the  other  day  that  two  ministers  had  derided  him 
because  he  thought  we  should  pray  for  rain.  A  gracious 
woman  bemoaned  in  my  presence  that  a  precious  promise  in 
Isaiah,  which  had  comforted  her,  had  been  declared  by  her 
minister  to  be  uninspired.  It  is  a  common  thing  to  hear 
working-men  excuse  their  wickedness  by  the  statement  that 
there  is  no  hell,  Mthe  parson  says  so."  But  we  need  not 
prolong  our  mention  of  painful  facts.  Germany  was  made 
unbelieving  by  her  preachers,  and  England  is  following  in 
her  track.  Attendance  at  places  of  worship  is  declining, 
and  reverence  for  holy  things  is  vanishing  ;  and  we  solemnly 
believe  this  to  be  largely  attributable  to  the  scepticism  which 
has  flashed  from  the  pulpit  and  spread  among  the  people. 
Possibly  the  men  who  uttered  the  doubt  never  intended  it 
to  go  so  far ;  but  none  the  less  they  have  done  the  ill,  and 
cannot  undo  it.  Their  own  observation  ought  to  teach  them 
better.  Have  these  advanced  thinkers  filled  their  own 
chapels?  Have  they,  after  all,  prospered  through  discard- 
ing the  old  methods  ?  Possibly,  in  a  few  cases  genius  and 
tact  have  carried  these  gentry  over  the  destructive  results  of 
their  ministry  ;  but  in  many  cases  their  pretty  new  theology 
has  scattered  their  congregations.  In  meeting-houses  hold- 
ing a  thousand,  or  twelve  hundred,  or  fifteen  hundred,  places 
once  packed  to  the  ceiling  with  ardent  hearers,  how  small 
are  the  numbers  now  !  We  could  mention  instances,  but  we 
forbear.  The  places  which  the  gospel  filled  the  new  non- 
sense has  emptied,  and  will  keep  empty. 


THE  DOWN-GRADE,  265 

This  fact  will  have  little  influence  with  "the  cultured;" 
for,  as  a  rule,  they  have  cultivated  a  fine  development  of 
conceit.  "Yes,"  said  one,  whose  pews  held  only  here  and 
there  a  worshipper,  "  it  will  always  be  found  that  in  propor- 
tion as  the  preacher's  mind  enlarges,  his  congregation  dimin- 
ishes." These  destroyers  of  our  churches  appear  to  be  as 
content  with  their  work  as  monkeys  with  their  mischief. 
That  which  their  fathers  would  have  lamented  they  rejoice 
in  ;  the  alienation  of  the  poor  and  simple-minded  from  their 
ministry  they  accept  as  a  compliment,  and  the  grief  of  the 
spir  tually-minded  they  regard  as  an  evidence  of  their  power. 
Truly,  unless  the  Lord  had  kept  His  own,  we  should  long 
before  this  have  seen  our  Zion  ploughed  as  a  field. 

The  other  day  we  were  asked  to  mention  the  name  of  some 
person  who  might  be  a  suitable  pastor  for  a  vacant  church, 
and  the  deacon  who  wrote  said:  "Let  him  be  a  converted 
man,  and  let  him  be  one  who  believes  what  he  preaches ;  for 
there  are  those  around  us  who  give  us  the  idea  that  they 
have  neither  part  nor  lot  in  the  matter."  This  remark  is 
more  commonly  made  than  we  like  to  remember,  and  there 
is,  alas!  too  much  need  for  it.  A  student  from  a  certain  col- 
lege preached  to  a  congregation  we  sometimes  visit  such  a 
sermon  that  the  deacon  said  to  him  in  the  vestry  :  "Sir,  do 
you  belie /e  in  the  Holy  Ghost?"  The  youth  replied:  "I 
suppose  I  do."  To  which  the  deacon  answered:  "I  sup- 
pose you  do  noty  or  you  would  not  have  insulted  us  with  such 
false  doctrine.  A  little  plain  speaking  would  do  a  world  of 
good  just  now.  These  gentlemen  desire  to  be  let  alone. 
They  want  no  noise  raised.  Of  course  thieves  hate  watch- 
dogs, and  love  darkness.  It  is  time  that  somebody  should 
spring  his  rattle,  and  call  attention  to  the  way  in  which  God 
is  being  robbed  of  his  glory,  and  man  of  his  hope. 

It  now  becomes  a  serious  question  how  far  those  who  abide 
by  the  faith  once  delivered  to  the  saints  should  fraternize 
with  those  who  have  turned  aside  to  another  gospel.  Chris- 
tian love  has  its  claims,  and  divisions  are  to  be  shunned  as 
grievous  evils;  but  how  far  are  we  justified  in  being  in  con- 
federacy with  those  who  are  departing  from  the  truth  ?  It  is 
a  difficult  question  to  answer  so  as  to  keep  the  balance  of  the 


266      LIFE  AND  WORK'  OF  REV.  C.  II.  SPUR  GEO  Ar. 

duties.  For  the  present  it  behoves  believers  to  be  cautious, 
lest  they  lend  their  support  and  countenance  to  the  betrayers 
of  the  Lord.  It  is  one  thing  to  overleap  all  boundaries  of 
denominational  restriction  for  the  truth's  sake;  this  we  hope 
all  godly  men  will  do  and  more.  It  is  quite  another  policy 
which  would  urge  us  to  subordinate  the  maintenance  of 
truth  to  denominational  prosperity  and  unity.  Numbers  of 
easy-minded  people  wink  at  error  so  long  as  it  is  committed 
by  a  clever  man  and  a  good-natured  brother,  who  has  so 
many  fine  points  about  him.  Let  each  believer  judge  for 
himself;  but,  for  our  part,  we  have  put  on  a  few  fresh  bolts 
to  our  door,  and  we  have  given  orders  to  keep  the  chain  up  ; 
for,  under  colour  of  begging  the  friendship  of  the  servant, 
there  are  those  about  who  aim  at  robbing  the  Master. 

We  fear  it  is  hopeless  ever  to  form  a  society  which  can 
keep  out  men  base  enough  to  profess  one  thing  and  believe 
another;  but  it  might  be  possible  to  make  an  informal  alli- 
ance among  all  who  hold  the  Christianity  of  their  fathers. 
Little  as  they  might  be  able  to  do,  they  could  at  least  pro- 
test, and  as  far  as  possible  free  themselves  of  that  com- 
plicity which  will  be  involved  in  a  conspiracy  of  silence.  If 
for  a  while  the  evangelicals  are  doomed  to  go  down,  let  them 
die  fighting,  and  in  the  full  assurance  that  their  gospel  will 
have  a  resurrection  when  the  inventions  of  "modern 
thought"  shall  be  burned  up  with  fire  unquenchable. 

OUR  REPLY  TO  SUNDRY  CRITICS  AND 
ENQUIRERS. 

According  to  the  best  of  our  ability,  we  sounded  an  alarm 
in  Zion  concerning  the  growing  evils  of  the  times,  and 
we  have  received  abundant  proof  that  it  was  none  too 
soon.  Letters  from  all  quarters  declare  that  the  case  of  the 
church  at  this  present  is  even  worse  than  we  thought  it  to 
be.  It  seems  that,  instead  of  being  guilty  of  exaggeration, 
we  should  have  been  justified  in  the  production  of  a  far 
more  terrible  picture.  This  \  a  t  causes  us  real  sorrow.  Had 
we  been  convicted  of  mis-statement  we  would  have  recanted 
with  sincerely   penitent   confessions,   and  we   should    have 


THE  DOWN-GRADE.  267 

been  glad  to  have  had  our  fears  removed.  It  is  no  joy  to  us 
to  bring  accusations  ;  it  is  no  pleasure  to  our  heart  to  seem 
to  be  in  antagonism  with  so  many.  We  are  never  better 
pleased  than  when  in  fellowship  with  our  brethren  we  can 
rejoice  in  the  progress  of  the  gospel. 

But  no  one  has  set  himself  to  disprove  our  allegations. 
One  gentleman,  of  neutral  tint,  has  dared  to  speak  of  them 
as  vague,  when  he  knows  that  nothing  could  be  more 
definite.  But  no  one  has  shown  that  prayer-meetings  are 
valued,  and  are  largely  attended ;  no  one  has  denied  that 
certain  ministers  frequent  theatres  ;  no  one  has  claimed  that 
the  Broad  School  newspapers  have  respected  a  single  truth 
of  revelation ;  and  no  one  has  borne  witness  to  the  sound 
doctrine  of  our  entire  ministry.  Now  we  submit  that  these 
are  the  main  points  at  issue ;  at  least,  these  are  the  only 
things  we  contend  about.  Differences  of  judgment  upon 
minor  matters,  and  varieties  of  mode  in  action,  are  not  now 
under  question ;  but  matters  vital  to  religion.  Others  may 
trifle  about  such  things  ;  we  cannot,  and  dare  not. 

Instead  of  dealing  with  these  weighty  things,  our  oppo- 
nents have  set  to  work  to  make  sneering  allusions  to  our 
sickness.  All  the  solemn  things  we  have  written  are  the 
suggestions  of  our  pain,  and  we  are  advised  to  take  a  long 
rest.  With  pretended  compassion,  but  with  real  insolence, 
they  would  detract  from  the  truth  by  pointing  to  the  lame- 
ness of  its  witness.  Upon  this  trifling  we  have  this  much  to 
say:  In  the  first  place,  our  article  was  written  when  we 
were  in  vigorous  health,  and  it  was  in  print  before  any  sign 
of  an  approaching  attack  was  discoverable.  In  the  second 
place,  if  we  were  in  a  debate  with  Christians  we  should  feel 
sure  that,  however  short  they  might  run  of  arguments,  they 
would  not  resort  to  personalities  ;  least  of  all,  to  those  per- 
sonalities which  make  a  painful  malady  their  target.  Inci- 
dentally-, this  breach  of  Christian  courtesy  goes  to  show  that 
the  new  theology  is  introducing,  not  only  a  new  code  of 
morals,  but  a  new  tone  and  spirit.  It  would  seem  to  be 
taken  for  granted,  that  if  men  are  such  fools  as  to  adhere  to 
to  an  old-fashioned  faith,  of  course  they  must  be  idiots,  and 
they  deserve  to  be  treated  with  that  contemptuous  pity  which 


26S     LIFE  AXD  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  II  SPURGEON. 

is  the  quintessence  of  hate.  If  you  can  find  out  that  they 
are  sufferers,  impute  their  faith  to  their  disease,  and  pretend 
that  their  earnestness  is  nothing  but  petulance  arising  from 
their  pain.  But  enough  of  this  ;  we  are  so  little  embittered 
in  spirit  by  our  pangs  that  we  can  laugh  at  the  arrows  aimed 
at  our  weaker  member.  Do  our  critics  think  that,  like 
Archilles,  our  vulnerable  point  lies,  not  in  our  head,  but  in 
our  heel  ? 

We  are  grateful  to  the  editor  of  Word  and  Work  for  speak- 
ing out  so  plainly.     He  says : 

"In  The  Sic  or  d  and  the  Trowel  for  the  present  month,  Mr. 
Spurgeon  gives  no  uncertain  sound  concerning  departures 
from  the  faith.  His  exposure  of  the  dishonesty  which,  under 
the  cover  of  orthodoxy,  assails  the  very  foundations  of  faith 
is  opportune  in  the  interests  of  truth.  No  doubt,  like  a 
faithful  prophet  in  like  evil  times,  he  will  be  called  a 
'troubler  of  Israel,'  and  already  we  have  noticed  he  has 
been  spoken  of  as  a  pessimist ;  but  any  such  attempts  to 
lessen  the  weight  of  his  testimony  are  only  certain  to  make 
it  more  effective.  When  a  strong  sense  of  duty  prompts 
public  speech  it  will  be  no  easy  task  to  silence  it. 

"The  preachers  of  false  doctrine  dislike  nothing  more 
than  the  premature  detection  of  their  doings.  Only  give 
them  time  enough  to  prepare  men's  minds  for  the  reception 
of  their  'new  views,'  and  they  are  confident  of  success. 
They  have  had  too  much  time  already,  and  any  who  refuse  to 
speak  out  now  must  be  held  to  be  'partakers  of  their  evil 
deeds.'  As  Mr.  Spurgeon  says,  'A  little  plain-speaking 
would  do  a  world  of  good  just  now.  These  gentlemen 
desire  to  be  let  alone.  They  want  no  noise  raised.  Of 
course  thieves  hate  watch-dogs,  and  love  darkness.  It  is 
time  that  somebody  should  spring  his  rattle,  and  call 
attention  to  the  way  in  which  God  is  being  robbed  of  his 
glory  and  man  of  his  hope.' 

"Only  those  who  have  given  some  attention  to  the  progress 
of  error  during  recent  years  can  form  any  just  idea  of  the 
rapid  strides  with  which  it  is  now  advancing.  Under  the 
plea  of  liberalism,  unscriptural  doctrines  are  allowed  to  pass 
current  in  sermons  and  periodicals,  which,  only  a  few  years 


THE  DOWN-GRADE.  269 

ago,  would  have  been  faithfully  resisted  unto  the  death. 
When  anyone  even  mildly  protests,  preachers  and  journal- 
ists are  almost  unanimous  in  drowning'  the  feeble  testimony 
either  by  sneers  or  shouts.  Throughout  the  wide  realm  of 
literature  there  seems  to  be  a  conspiracy  to  hate  and  hunt 
down  every  Scriptural  truth.  Let  any  man,  especially  if  he 
belongs  to  an  evangelical  church,  denounce  or  deny  any 
part  of  the  creed  he  has  solemnly  vowed  to  defend,  and  at 
once  his  fortune  is  made.  The  press  makes  the  world  ring 
with  his  fame,  and  even  defends  the  dishonesty  which  clings 
to  a  stipend  forfeited  by  the  violation  of  his  vow.  It  is  far 
otherwise  with  the  defender  of  the  faith.  He  is  mocked, 
insulted,  and  laughed  to  scorn.  The  spirit  of  the  age  is 
against  him.  So  in  greater  or  lesser  measure  it  has  always 
been.  But  when  he  remembers  who  is  the  prince  of  this 
world  and  the  ruler  of  the  age,  he  may  be  well  content  to 
possess  his  soul  in  patience." 

This  witness  is  true. 

Let  no  man  dream  that  a  sudden  crotchet  has  entered  our 
head,  and  that  we  have  written  in  hot  haste  ;  we  have  waited 
long,  perhaps  too  long,  and  have  been  slow  to  speak. 
Neither  let  any  one  suppose  that  we  build  up  our  statements 
upon  a  few  isolated  facts,  and  bring  to  the  front  certain 
regretable  incidents  which  might  as  well  have  been  forgotten. 
He  who  knows  all  things  can  alone  reveal  the  wretched  facts 
which  have  come  under  our  notice.  Their  memory  will,  we 
trust,  die  and  be  buried  with  the  man  who  has  borne  their 
burden,  and  held  his  peace  because  he  had  no  wish  to  create 
disunion.  Resolved  to  respect  the  claims  both  of  truth  and 
love,  we  have  pursued  an  anxious  pathway.  To  protest 
when  nothing  could  come  of  it  but  anger,  has  seemed  sense- 
less ;  to  assail  evil  and  crush  a  vast  amount  of  good  in  the 
process,  has  appeared  to  be  injurious.  If  all  knew  all,  our 
reticence  would  be  wondered  at  and  we  are  not  sure  that  it 
would  be  approved.  Whether  approved  or  not,  we  have 
had  no  motive  but  the  general  progress  of  the  cause  of  truth, 
and  the  glory  of  God. 

Had  there  been  a  right  spirit  in  those  who  resent  our  warn- 
ing, they  would  either  have  disproved  our  charge,  or  else 


270      LIFE  AND  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  H.  SPURGEON 

they  would  have  lamented  its  truthfulness,  and  have  set  to 
work  to  correct  the  evil  which  we  lamented.  Alas,  the  levity 
which  plays  ducks  and  drakes  with  doctrines,  makes  game 
of  all  earnestness,  and  finds  sport  in  Christian  decision  !  Yet, 
surely  there  is  a  remnant  of  faithful  ones,  and  these  will  be 
stirred  to  action,  and  will  cry  mightily  unto  God  that  the 
plague  may  be  stayed.  The  gospel  is  too  precious  for  us  to 
be  indifferent  to  its  adulteration.  By  the  love  we  bear  to  the 
Lord  Jesus  we  are  bound  to  defend  the  treasure  with  which 
he  has  put  us  in  trust. 

That  ugly  word  "pessimist"  has  been  hurled  at  our 
devoted  head.  We  are  denounced  as  "gloomy."  Well, 
well !  The  day  was  when  we  were  censured  for  being 
wickedly  humorous,  and  many  were  the  floggings  we 
received  for  our  unseemly  jests.  Now  we  are  morose  and 
bitter.  So  the  world's  opinion  changes.  A  half-a-farthing 
would  be  an  extravagant  price  to  pay  for  the  verdict  one  wray 
or  another.  In  truth,  we  are  quite  able  to  take  an  optimistic 
view  of  things.  (Is  that  the  correct  word,  Sir  Critic  ?)  We 
are  glad  to  admit  that  there  is  much  of  Christian  zeal,  self- 
sacrifice,  and  holy  perseverance  in  the  world.  Possibly 
there  is  more  than  ever.  Did  we  ever  say  otherwise?  We 
rejoice  in  the  thousands  of  gracious,  holy,  large-hearted 
men  around  us.  Who  dares  to  say  that  we  do  not  ?  We  see 
much  that  is  hopeful  and  delightful  in  many  quarters.  Is 
this  at  all  to  the  point  ?  May  there  not  be  much  that  is  beau- 
tiful and  healthful  in  a  countenance  where  yet  there  may  be 
the  symptoms  of  a  foul  disease  ?  The  church  is  large,  and 
while  one  end  of  her  field  may  rejoice  us  with  golden  grain, 
another  part  of  it  may  be  full  of  thorns  and  briers.  It  often 
happens  that  causes  of  sorrow  may  be  increased  at  the  very 
same  moment  when  occasions  of  joy  are  most  numerous. 
We  judge  that  it  is  so  just  now.  The  cause  of  God  goes  on  in 
spite  of  foes,  and  his  truth  is  sure  to  conquer  in  the  long  run, 
however  influential  its  opposers.  No,  no,  we  are  by  no 
means  despondent  for  the  Lord's  kingdom.  That  would  be 
a  dishonor  to  his  eternal  power  and  Godhead.  Our  amiable 
critics  may  possibly  be  pleased  to  know  that  they  will  not 
find  us  bathing  in  vinegar,  nor  covering  our  swollen  foot 


THE  DOWN-GRADE.  271 

with  wormwood,  nor  even  drinking  quinine  with  our  vegeta- 
bles ;  but  they  will  find  us  rejoicing  in  the  Lord,  and  buck- 
ling on  our  harness  for  the  war  with  as  firm  a  confidence  as 
if  all  men  were  on  our  side.  Bad  as  things  are  from  one 
point  of  view,  there  is  a  bright  side  to  affairs  :  the  Lord  has 
yet  his  men  in  reserve  who  have  not  bowed  the  knee  to 
Baal. 

We  have  said,  with  deep  grief  that  we  should  have  had  to 
say  it,  that  many  ministers  have  departed  from  the  faith; 
and  this  was  no  unkind  suspicion  on  our  part,  but  a  matter 
of  fact,  ascertained  in  many  ways,  and  made  most  sadly 
sure.  We  trust  that  the  Baptists  are  by  no  means  so  far 
gone  as  the  Independents ;  indeed,  we  feel  sure  that  they 
are  not.  Still,  we  do  not  say  this  in  order  to  throw  stones  at 
others.  A  well-known  Congregational  minister,  who  is  pre- 
paring a  book  upon  this  painful  subject,  writes  us — "I  have 
not  a  large  acquaintance  with  the  state  of  opinion  in  your 
denomination.  I  groan  over  my  own.  There  are  many 
faithful  to  Christ,  and  to  the  souls  of  men;  but,  alas!  it 
seems  to  me  that  many  have  no  kind  of  gospel  to  preach, 
and  the  people  are  willing  that  it  should  be  so.  Some  of  our 
colleges  are  poisoning  the  churches  at  the  fountains.  I  very 
much  fear  that  an  unconverted  ministry  is  multiplying."  To 
the  same  import  is  a  letter  from  another  brother  of  the  same 
denomination,  who  says — "I  cannot  agree  with  The  British 
Weekly,  that  you  take  an  'extremely  pessimistic'  view  of  the 
evil.  On  the  contrary,  I  am  disposed  to  think  that  your  con- 
viction is  faint  compared  with  what  the  reality  would  war- 
rant.     ■  College,  for  example,    continues  to  pour  forth 

men  to  take  charge  of  our  churches  who  do  not  believe,  in 
any  proper  sense,  in  the  inspiration  of  the  Scriptures,  who 
deny  the  vicarious  sacrifice  on  the  cross,  and  hold  that,  if 
sinners  are  not  saved  on  this  side  of  the  grave,  they  may, 
can  or  must  be  on  the  other.  And  the  worst  of  it  is,  the 
people  love  it."  We  could  multiply  this  painful  evidence, 
but  there  is  no  need,  since  the  charge  is  not  denied.  It  is 
ridiculed  ;  it  is  treated  as  a  matter  of  no  consequence,  but  it 
is  not  seriously  met.  Is  this  what  we  have  come  to?  Is 
there   no  doctrine  left  which  is  to  be  maintained  ?     Is  there 


272      LIFE  AND  WORK'  OF  REV.  C.  II.  SPURGEOX. 

no  revelation?  Oris  that  revelation  a  nose  of  wax  to  be 
shaped  by  the  finger  of  fashion  ?  Are  the  sceptics  so  much 
to  the -fore  that  no  man  will  open  his  mouth  against  them? 
Are  all  the  orthodox  afraid  of  the  ridicule  of  the  "cultured?" 
We  cannot  believe  it.  The  private  knowledge  which  we 
possess  will  not  allow  of  so  unhappy  a  conclusion;  yet 
Christian  people  are  now  so  tame  that  they  shrink  from 
expressing  themselves.  The  house  is  being  robbed,  its  very 
walls  are  being  digged  down,  but  the  good  people  who  are  in 
bed  are  too  fond  of  the  warmth,  and  too  much  afraid  of  get- 
ting broken  heads,  to  go  downstairs  and  meet  the  burglars  ; 
they  are  even  half  vexed  that  a  certain  noisy  fellow  will 
spring  his  rattle,  or  cry,  "Thieves!" 

That  the  evil  leaven  is  working  in  the  churches  as  well 
as  among  the  ministers,  is  also  sadly  certain.  A  heterodox 
party  exists  in  many  congregations,  and  those  who  compose 
it  are  causing  trouble  to  the  faithful,  and  sadly  influence  the 
more  timid  towards  a  vacillating  policy.  An  earnest 
preacher,  who  is  only  one  of  a  class,  says  :  "The  old  truths 
are  unpopular  here.  I  am  told  that  I  have  preached  the 
doctrines  of  grace  to  my  cost — that  is,  in  a  pecuniary  aspect 
— and  I  know  that  it  is  so.  I  cannot  find  anything  to  rest 
upon  in  the  modern  theories,  but  this  places  me  in  antagon- 
ism to  the  supporters  of  the  chapel.  They  find  fault,  not 
with  the  style  of  my  preaching,  but  with  the  subjects  of  it." 
In  another  place  the  witness  is, — "Our  minister  is  an  able  and 
gracious  man,  but  there  are  those  in  the  church  who  are 
determined  that  no  one  shali  remain  here  unless  he  is  in 
favor  of  advanced  opinions."  Yes,  the  divergence  is  daily 
becoming  more  manifest.  A  chasm  is  opening  between  the 
men  who  believe  their  Bibles  and  the  men  who  are  prepared 
for  an  advance  upon  Scripture.  Inspiration  and  speculation 
cannot  long  abide  in  peace.  Compromise  there  can  be  none. 
We  cannot  hold  the  inspiration  of  the  Word,  and  yet  reject 
it ;  we  cannot  believe  in  the  atonement  and  deny  it ;  we  can- 
not hold  the  doctrine  of  the  -fall,  and  yet  talk  of  the  evolution 
of  spiritual  life  from  human  nature  ;  we  cannot  recognize  the 
punishment  of  the  impenitent  and  yet  indulge  the  "larger 
hope.,:  One  way  or  the  other  we  must  go.  Decision  is  the 
virtue  of  the  hour. 


THE  DOWN-GRADE.  273 

Neither  when  we  have  chosen  our  way  can  we  keep  com- 
pany with  those  who  go  the  other  way.  There  must  come 
with  decision  for  truth  a  corresponding  protest  against  error. 
Let  those  who  will  keep  the  narrow  way  keep  it,  and  suffer 
for  their  choice  ;  but  to  hope  to  follow  the  broad  road  at  the 
same  time  is  absurdity.  What  communion  hath  Christ  with 
Belial  ? 

Thus  far  we  come,  and  pause.  Let  us,  as  many  as  are  of 
one  mind,  wait  upon  the  Lord  to  know  what  Israel  ought  to 
do.  With  s'eadfast  faith  let  us  take  our  places  ;  not  in  anger, 
not  in  the  spirit  of  suspicion  or  division,  but  in  watchfulness 
and  resolve.  Let  us  not  pretend  to  a  fellowship  which  we 
do  not  feel,  nor  hide  convictions  which  are  burning  in  our 
hearts.  The  times  are  perilous,  and  the  responsibility  of 
every  individual  believer  is  a  burden  which  he  must  bear,  or 
prove  a  traitor.  What  each  man's  place  and  course  should 
be  the  Lord  will  make  clear  unto  him. 

THE  CASE  PROVED. 

The  controversy  which  has  arisen  out  of  our  previous 
articles  is  very  wide  in  its  range.  Different  minds  will  have 
their  own  opinions  as  to  the  manner  in  which  the  combatants 
have  behaved  themselves  ;  for  our  own  part  we  are  content  to 
let  a  thousand  personal  matters  pass  by  unheeded.  What 
does  it  matter  what  sarcasms  or  pleasantries  may  have  been 
uttered  at  our  expense  ?  The  dust  of  battle  will  blow  away 
in  due  time ;  for  the  present  the  chief  concern  is  to  keep  the 
standard  in  its  place,  and  bear  up  against  the  rush  of  the  foe. 

Our  warning  was  intended  .to  call  attention  to  an  evil  which 
we  thought  was  apparent  to  all :  we  never  dreamed  that 
"the  previous  question"  would  be  raised,  and  that  a  company 
of  esteemed  friends  would  rush  in  between  the  combatants 
and  declare  that  there  was  no  cause  for  war,  but  that  our 
motto  might  continue  to  be  "Peace,  peace!"  Yet  such  has 
been  the  case,  and  in  siiany  quarters  the  main  question  has 
been,  not  "How  can  we  remove  the  evil  ?"  but,  "Is  there  any 
evil  to  remove?"  No  end  of  letters  have  been  written  with 
this  as  their  theme — "Are  the  charges  made  by  Mr.  Spurgcon 
at  all  true?"  Setting  aside  the  question  of  your  own  veracity, 


274      LIFE  AND  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  H.  SPURGEON. 

we  could  have  no  objection  to  the  most  searching  discussion 
of  the  matter.     By  all  means  let  the  truth  be  known. 

The  Baptist  and  The  British  Weekly,  in  the  most  friendly- 
spirit,  have  opened  their  columns,  and  invited  corres- 
pondence upon  the  point  in  hand.  The  result  has  been 
that  varied  opinions  have  been  expressed  ;  but  among  the 
letters  there  has  been  a  considerable  number  which  may  be 
roughly  summarized  as  declaring  that  it  would  be  best  to  let 
well  alone,  and  that  the  writers  see  little  or  nothing  of 
departure  from  the  faith  among  Baptist  and  Congregational 
ministers.  This  is  reassuring  as  far  as  it  goes,  but  how  far 
does  it  go  ?  It  goes  no  farther  than  this — it  proves  that  these 
worthy  men  view  matters  from  a  standpoint  which  makes 
them  regard  as  mere  changes  of  expression  novelties  which 
we  judge  to  be  fatal  errors  from  the  truth  ;  or  else  they  move 
in  a  peculiarly  favored  circle  ;  or  else  they  are  so  supremely 
amiable  that  they  see  all  things  through  spectacles  of  tinted 
glass.  We  cannot  help  it,  but  in  reading  these  carefully- 
prepared  epistles,  there  has  passed  before  our  mind  the 
vision  of  the  heroic  Nelson,  with  the  telescope  at  his  blind 
eye,  and  we  have  heard  him  say  again  and  again,  "I  cannot 
see  it."  With  a  brave  blindness  he  refused  to  see  that  which 
may  have  silenced  his  guns.  Brethren  who  have  been 
officials  of  a  denomination  have  a  paternal  partiality  about 
them  which  is  so  natural,  and  so  sacred,  that  we  have  not 
the  heart  to  censure  it.  Above  all  things,  these  prudent 
brethren  feel  bound  to  preserve  the  prestige  of ''the  body," 
and  the  peace  of  the  committee.  Our  Unions,  Boards  and 
Associations  are  so  justly  dear  to  the  fathers,  that  quite 
unconsciously  and  innocently,  they  grow  obvious  of  evils 
which,  to  the  unofficial  mind,  are  as  manifest  as  the  sun  in 
the  heavens.  This  could  not  induce  our  honored  brethren 
to  be  untruthful ;  but  it  does  influence  them  in  their  judg- 
ment, and  still  more  in  the  expression  of  that  judgment. 
With  one  or  two  exceptions  in  the  letters  now  before  us, 
there  are  evidences  of  a  careful  balancing  of  sentences,  and 
a  guardedness  of  statement,  which  enables  us  to  read  a 
deal  between  the  lines. 
If  we  were  not  extremely  anxious  to  avoid  personalities 


THE  DOWN-GRADE.  275 

we  could  point  to  other  utterances  of  some  of  these  esteemed 
writers,  which,  if  they  did  not  contradict  what  they  have  now 
written,  would  be  such  a  supplement  to  it  that  their  entire 
mind  would  be  better  known.  To  break  the  seal  of  confi- 
dential correspondence,  or  to  reveal  private  conversations, 
would  not  occur  to  us  ;  but  we  feel  compelled  to  say  that,  in 
one  or  two  cases,  the  writers  have  not  put  in  print  what  we 
have  personally  gathered  from  them  on  other  occasions. 
Their  evident  desire  to  allay  the  apprehensions  of  others 
may  have  helped  them  to  forget  their  own  fears.  We  say  no 
more. 

Had  there  been.no  other  letters  but  those  of  this  class,  wfe 
should  have  hoped  that  perhaps  the  men  of  the  new  theology 
were  few  and  feebie.  Let  it  be  noted  that  we  have  never 
made  an  estimate  of  their  number  or  strength  ;  we  have  said 
"  many,"  and  after  reading  the  consoling  letters  of  our  opti- 
mistic brethren  we  try  to  hope  that  possibly  they  may  not  be 
so  many  as  we  feared.  We  should  be  rejoiced  to  believe 
that  there  were  none  at  all,  but  our  wish  cannot  create  a 
fact.  There  is  little  in  the  letters  which  can  affect  our  decla- 
rations, even  if  we  read  them  in  their  most  unqualified  sense, 
and  accept  them  as  true.  If  twenty  persons  did  not  see  a 
certain  fact,  their  not  seeing  cannot  alter  the  conviction  of 
a  man  in  his  senses  who  has  seen  it,  has  seen  it  for  years, 
and  is  seeing  it  now.  The  witness  rubs  his  eyes  to  see 
whether  he  is  awake  ;  and  then,  bewildered  as  he  may  be  for 
a  moment  that  so  many  good  people  are  contradicting  him, 
he  still  believes  the  evidence  of  his  own  senses  in  the  teeth 
of  them  all.  I  believe  in  the  conscientiousness  of  the  divines 
and  doctors  of  divinity  who  tell  us  that  all  is  well,  and  I  can- 
not but  congratulate  them  upon  their  ability  to  be  so  serenely 
thankful  for  small  mercies. 

But  over  against  the  bearers  of  cheering  news  we  have  to 
set  the  far  more  numerous  testimonies  of  those  to  whom 
things  wear  no  such  roseate  hue.  What  we  have  said  already 
is  true,  but  it  is  a  meagre  and  feeble  statement  of  the  actual 
case,  if  we  judge  by  the  reports  of  our  correspondents.  We 
have  been  likened,  by  one  of  our  opponents,  to  the  boy  in 
the  fable  who  cried,  "Wolf!  "    The  parallel  fails  in  the  all- 


276      LIFE  AND  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  II.  SPURGEO.X. 

important  point  that  he  cried,  "Wolf!"  when  there  was  none, 
and  we  are  crying  "Wolf!"  when  packs  of  them  are  howling 
so  loudly  that  it  would  be  superfluous  for  us  to  shout  at  all 
if  a  wretched  indifferentism  had  not  brought  a  deep  slumber 
upon  those  who  ought  to  guard  the  flocks.  The  evidence 
is,  to  our  mind,  so  overwhelming  that  we  thought  that  our 
statements  only  gave  voice  to  a  matter  of  common  notoriety. 
Either  we  are  dreaming,  or  our  brethren  are  ;  let  the  godly 
judge  who  it  is  that  is  asleep.  We  consider  that  what  we 
have  written  in  former  papers  is  quite  sufficient  to  justify  our 
earnest  endeavor  to  arouse  the  churches  ;  but  as  more  proof 
is  demanded  we  will  give  it.  Our  difficulty  is  to  make  a 
selection  out  of  the  mass  of  material  before  us,  and  we  will 
not  burden  our  readers  with  more  than  may  suffice. 

In  the  month  of  July  last,  the  secretaries  of  the  Evangeli- 
cal Alliance  issued  a  circular,  from  which  we  quote  a  para- 
graph : 

"  It  is  only  too  evident  to  all  who  are  jealous  for  God  and 
His  truth,  that  on  one  side  there  is  a  perilous  growth  of 
superstition  and  sacerdotalism,  and  on  the  other,  of  unbelief 
and  indifference  to  vital  religion.  The  substitutionary  sacri- 
fice of  our  blessed  Lord  and  Saviour  is  lightly  esteemed,  and 
even  repudiated,  by  some  prominent  teachers ;  the  future 
destiny  of  the  sinner  has  become,  in  consequence,  a  vain 
speculation  in  the  thoughts  of  many.  The  plenary  inspira- 
tion of  the  Holy  Scriptures,  the  personality  of  the  Holy 
Ghost,  and  his  presence  and  power  in  the  church  of  God, 
with  other  verities  of  the  faith  of  Christ,  are  qualified  or 
explained  away  in  many  instances.  The  results  of  this  erro- 
neous teaching  and  perversion  of  the  gospel  are  painfully 
apparent;  worldliness,  sensuality,  and  luxury,  with  the  dese- 
cration of  the  Lord's  day,  abound,  and  Christian  liberty  has 
become  license  in  the  walk  and  conversation  of  many  pro- 
fessed disciples  of  Christ." 

This  circular  we  had  not  seen  or  heard  of  when  our  first 
"Down-grade"  article  appeared  in  August.  We  had  had  no 
communication,  directly  or  indirectly,  with  the  Alliance. 
This  association  has  a  Council,  by  no  means  fanatical  or  pre- 
cipitate, and  we  are  prepared  to  say,  with  no  disrespect  to 


THE  DOWN-GRADE.  277 

the  happy  brethren  who  judge  everything  to  be  so  eminently 
satisfactory,  that  we  think  as  much  of  the  judgment  of  this 
Council  as  we  do  of  theirs.  Possibly  we  now  think  far  more 
of  that  opinion,  since  we  have  seen  extracts  from  letters  of 
brethren  of  all  denominations,  sent  to  the  Alliance,  in  which 
they  cry  "Wolf!  "  in  tones  as  earnest  as  our  own. 

There  is  no  use  in  mincing  matters  ;  there  are  thousands 
of  us  in  all  denominations  who  believe  that  many  ministers 
have  seriously  departed  from  the  truths  of  the  gospel,  and 
that  a  sad  decline  of  spiritual  life  is  manifest  in  many 
churches.  Many  a  time  have  others  said  the  same  things 
which  we  have  now  said,  and  small  notice  has  been  taken 
of  their  protests.  Only  this  day  we  have  received  by  post 
the  report  of  the  Gloucestershire  and  Herefordshire  Associ- 
ation of  Baptist  Churches,  issued  in  June  last.  It  contains 
an  admirable  paper  by  its  president,  of  which  the  keynote 
will  be  found  in  the  following  sentences  : 

"We  live  in  perilous  times  ;  we  are  passing  through  a  most 
eventful  period ;  the  Christian  era  is  convulsed  ;  there  is  a 
mighty  upheaval  of  the  old  foundations  of  faith  ;  a  great 
overhauling  of  old  teaching.  The  Bible  is  made  to  speak 
to-day  in  a  language  which  to  our  fathers  would  be  an  un- 
known tongue.  Gospel  teachings,  the  proclamation  of  which 
made  men  fear  to  sin,  and  dread  the  thought  of  eternity,  are 
being  shelved.  Calvary  is  being  robbed  of  its  glory,  sin  of 
horror,  and  we  are  said  to  be  evolving  into  a  reign  of  vig- 
orous and  blessed  sentimentality,  in  which  heaven  and  earth, 
God  and  man  are  to  become  a  heap  of  sensational  emotions  ; 
but  in  the  process  of  evolution  is  not  the  power  of  the  gospel 
weakened  ?  Are  not  our  chapels  emptying  ?  Is  there  not 
growing  up  among  men  a  greater  indifference  to  the  claims 
of  Christ?  Are  not  the  theories  of  evolution  retrogressive 
in  their  effect  upon  the  age  ?  Where  is  the  fiery  zeal  for  the 
salvation  of  men  which  marked  the  Nonconformity  of  the 
past?  Where  is  the  noble  enthusiasm  that  made  heioes  and 
martyrs  for  the  truth?  Where  is  the  force  which  carried 
Nonconformity  forward  like  a  mighty  avalanche  ?  Alas ! 
where  ?  " 

Dr.  David  Brown,  Principal  of  the  Free  Church  College, 


278      LIFE  AND  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  II.  SPURGEON. 

Aberdeen,  in  a  valuable  paper  upon  Scepticism  in  Ministers, 
which  will  be  found  in  The  Christian  Age  of  Sept.  14th,  says  : 

"This  is  a  very  covert  form  of  scepticism,  which  is  more 
to  be  feared  than  all  other  forms  combined ;  I  mean  the 
scepticism  of  ministers  of  the  gospel — of  those  who  profess 
to  hold,  and  are  expected  to  preach,  the  faith  of  all  orthodox 
Christendom,  and,  as  the  basis  of  this  faith,  the  authority  of 
Scripture  ;  yet  neither  hold  nor  teach  ^that  faith,  but  do  their 
best  to  undermine  the  sacred  records  of  it.  Now,  what  is 
the  root  of  this  kind  of  scepticism  ?  I  answer,  just  the  same 
as  of  the  more  sweeping  and  naked  forms  of  it,  the  desire  to 
naturalize,  as  far  as  possible,  everything  in  religion." 

"The  one  thing  common  to  them  all  is  the  studious  avoid- 
ance of  all  those  sharp  features  of  the  gospel  which  are 
repulsive  to  the  natural  man — which  'are  hid  from  the  wise 
and  prudent,  and  are  revealed  only  to  babes.'  The  divinity  of 
Christ  is  recognized  indeed  ;  but  it  is  the  loftiness  of  his 
human  character,  the  sublimity  of  his  teaching,  and  the 
unparalleled  example  of  self-sacrifice  which  his  death 
exhibited  that  they  dwell  on.  The  Atonement  is  not  in 
so  many  words  denied ;  but  his  sufferings  are  not  held 
forth  in  their  vicarious  and  expiatory  character.  Christ, 
according  to  their  teaching,  was  in  no  sense  our  Substitute, 
and  in  justification  the  righteousness  of  the  glorious  Surety 
is  not  imputed  to  the  guilty  believer.  It  is  not  often  that 
this  is  nakedly  expressed.  But  some  are  becoming  bold 
enough  to  speak  it  out." 

"I  should  not  have  said  so  much  in  this  strain  were  it  not 
that  all  our  churches  are  honeycombed  with  this  mischievous 
tendency  to  minimize  all  those  features  of  the  gospel  which 
the  natural  man  cannot  receive.  And  no  wonder,  for  their 
object  seems  to  be  to  attract  the  natural  mind.  Wherever 
this  is  the  case,  the  spirituality  of  the  pulpit  is  done  away, 
and  the  Spirit  himself  is  not  there.  Conversion  of  souls  is 
rarely  heard  of  there,  if  even  it  is  expected,  and  those  who 
come  for  the  children's  bread  get  only  a  stone— beautiful  it 
may  be,  and  sparkling  ;  but  stones  cannot  be  digested." 

We  have  occupied  no  time  in  selecting  these  three  testi- 
monies, neither  are  they  more  remarkable  than  a  host  of 


THE   DOWN-GRADE.  279 

others  ;  but  they  suffice  to  show  that  it  is  not  a  solitary  dys- 
peptic who  alone  judges  that  there  is  much  evil  occurrent. 

The  most  conclusive  evidence  that  we  are  correct  in  our 
statement,  that  ''the  new  theology"  is  rampant  among  us,  is 
supplied  by  The  Christian  World.  To  this  paper  is  largely 
due  the  prevalence  of  this  mischief;  and  it  by  no  means 
hides  its  hand.  Whoever  else  may  hesitate,  we  have  in  this 
paper  plain  and  bold  avowals  of  its  faith,  or  want  of  faith. 
Its  articles  and  the  letters  which  it  has  inserted  prove  our 
position  up  to  the  hilt;  nay,  more,  they  lead  us  into  inner 
"chambers  of  imagery"  into  which  little  light  has  as  yet  been 
admitted.  What  is  meant  by  the  illusion  to  the  doctrine  of 
the  Trinity  in  the  extract  which  is  now  before  us  ?  We  for- 
bear further  comment,  the  paragraph  speaks  very  plainly  for 
itself: 

"We  are  now  at  the  parting  of  the  ways,  and  the  younger 
ministers  especially  must  decide  whether  or  not  they  will 
embrace  and  undisguisedly  proclaim  that  'modern  thought' 
which  in  Mr.  Spurgeon's  eyes  is  a  'deadly  cobra,' while  in 
ours  it  is  the  glory  of  the  century.  It  discards  many  of  the 
doctrines  dear  to  Mr.  Spurgeon  and  his  school,  not  only  as 
untrue  and  unscriptural,  but  as  in  the  strictest  sense  immoral; 
for  it  cannot  recognize  the  moral  possibility  of  imputing 
either  guilt  or  goodness,  or  the  justice  of  inflicting  everlast- 
ing punishment  for  temporary  sin.  It  is  not  so  irrational  as 
to  pin  its  faith  to  verbal  inspiration,  or  so  idolatrous  as  to 
make  its  acceptance  of  a  true  Trinity  of  divine  manifestation 
cover  polytheism." 

Nothing  can  be  required  more  definite  than  this  ;  and  if 
there  had  been  any  such  need,  the  letters  which  have  been 
inserted  in  the  same  paper  would  have  superabundantly  sup- 
plied it.  As  several  of  these  are  from  Baptist  ministers,  and 
are  an  ingenuous  avowal  of  the  most  thorough-going 
advance  from  the  things  which  have  been  assuredly  believed 
among  us,  we  are  led  to  ask  the  practical  question  :  Are 
brethren  who  remain  orthodox-  prepared  to  endorse  such  sen- 
timents by  remaining-  in  union  with  those  who  hold  and  teach 
them?  These  gentlemen  have  full  liberty  to  think  as  they 
like;  but,. on  the  other  hand,  those  who  love  the  old  gospel 


2S0      LIFE  AND  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  II  SPURGEON. 

have  equally  the  liberty  to  dissociate  themselves  from  them, 
and  that  liberty  also  involves  a  responsibility  from  which 
there  is  no  escaping.  If  we  do  not  believe  in  Unix  crsalism, 
or  in  Purgatory,  and  if  we  do  believe  in  the  inspiration  of 
Scripture,  the  Fall,  and  the  great  sacrifice  of  Christ  for  sin, 
it  behoves  us  to  see  that  we  do  not  become  accomplices  with 
those  who  teach  another  gospel,  and  as  it  would  seem  from 
one  writer,  have  avowedly  another  God." 

A  friendly  critic  advised  us  at  the  first  to  mention  the 
names  of  those  who  had  quitted  the  old  faith ;  but,  if  we 
had  done  so,  he  would  have  been  among  the  first  to  lament 
the  introduction  of  personalities.  At  the  same  time,  there 
can  be  no  objection  to  the  gentleman's  coming  forward,  and 
glorying  in  his  "modern  thought:"  it  spares  others  the 
trouble  of  judging  his  position,  and  it  is  an  exhibition  of 
manliness  which  others  might  copy  to  advantage.  Those 
who  have  read  the  statements  of  the  advanced  school,  and 
still  think  that  from  the  orthodox  point  of  view  there  is  no 
cause  for  alarm,  must  surely  be  of  a  very  sanguine  tempera- 
ment, or  resolutely  blind. 

Our  lament  was  not,  however,  confined  to  vital  doctrines  ; 
we  mentioned  a  decline  of  spiritual  life,  and  the  growth  of 
worldliness,  and  gave  as  two  outward  signs  thereof  the  fall- 
ing-ofif  in  prayer-meetings,  and  ministers  attending  the  the- 
atre. The  first  has  been  pooh-poohed  as  a  mere  trifle.  The 
Nonconformist,  which  is  a  fit  companion  for  The  Christian 
World,  dismisses  the  subject  in  the  following  sentence:  "If 
the  conventional  prayer-meetings  are  not  largely  attended, 
why  should  the  Christian  community  be  judged  by  its 
greater  or  less  use  of  one  particular  religious  expedient?" 
What  would  James  and  Jay  have  said  of  this  dismissal  of 
"conventional  prayer-meetings,"  whatever  that  may  mean? 
At  any  rate,  we  are  not  yet  alone  in  the  opinion  that  our 
meetings  for  prayer  are  very  excellent  thermometers  of  the 
spiritual  condition  of  our  people.  God  save  us  from  the 
spirit  which  regards  gathering  together  for  prayer  as  "a 
religious  expedient!"  This  one  paragraph  is  sorrowfully 
sufficient  to  justify  much  more  than  we  have  written. 

The  same  newspaper  thus  deals  with  our  mention  of  the- 


THE  DOWN-GRADE.  281 

atre-going  preachers.  Let  the  reader  note  what  a  fine 
mouthful  of  words  it  is,  and  how  unwittingly  it  admits,  with 
a  guarded  commendation,  that  which  we  remarked  upon 
with  censure : 

"As  for  theatres,  while  we  should  he  much  surprised  to 
learn  that  many  ministers  of  the  gospel  take  a  view  of  life 
which  would  permit  them  to  spend  much  time  there,  yet, 
remembering  that  men  of  unquestionable  piety  do  find  rec- 
reation for  themselves  and  their  families  in  the  drama,  we 
are  not  content  to  see  a  great  branch  of  art  placed  under  a 
ban,  as  if  it  were  no  more  than  an  agency  of  evil." 

Let  it  never  be  forgotten  that  even  irreligious  men,  who 
themselves  enjoy  the  amusements  of  the  theatre,  lose  all 
respect  for  ministers  when  they  see  them  in  the  play-house. 
Their  common  sense  tells  them  that  men  of  such  an  order 
are  unfit  to  be  their  guides  in  spiritual  things.  But  we  will 
not  debate  the  point :  the  fact  that  it  is  debated  is  to  us 
sufficient  evidence  that  spiritual  religion  is  at  a  low  ebb  in 
such  quarters. 

Very  unwillingly  have  we  fulfilled  our  unhappy  task  of 
justifying  a  warning  which  we  felt  bound  to  utter  ;  we  deplore 
the  necessity  of  doing  so ;  but  if  we  have  not  in  this  paper 
given  overwhelming  evidence,  it  is  from  want  of  space,  and 
want  of  will,  and  not  from  want  of  power.  Those  who  have 
made  up  their  minds  to  ignore  the  gravity  of  the  crisis, 
would  not  be  aroused  from  their  composure  though  we  told 
our  tale  in  miles  of  mournful  detail. 

It  only  remains  to  remark  that  brethren  who  are  afraid 
that  great  discouragement  will  arise  out  of  our  statements, 
have  our  hearty  sympathy  so  far  as  there  is  cause  for  such 
discouragement.  Our  heart  would  rejoice  indeed  if  we  could 
describe  our  nonconformity  in  a  very  different  manner,  and 
assure  our  friends  that  we  were  never  in  a  sounder  or  more 
hopeful  condition.  But  encouragement  founded  upon  fiction 
would  lead  to  false  hopes,  and  to  ultimate  dismay.  Confi- 
dence in  our  principles  is  what  is  most  to  be  relied  on,  next 
to  confidence  in  God.  Brave  men  will  hold  to  a  right  cause 
none  the  less  tenaciously  because  for  a  season  it  is  under  a 
cloud.     Increased  difficulty  only  brings  out  increased  faith, 


282      LIFE  AND  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  H.  SPURGEOX. 

more  fervent  prayer,  and  greater  zeal.  The  weakest  of 
minds  are  those  which  go  forward  because  they  are  borne 
along  by  the  throng ;  the  truly  strong  are  accustomed  to 
stand  alone,  and  are  not  cast  down  if  they  find  themselves  in 
a  minority.  Let  no  man's  heart  fail  him  because  of  the  Phil- 
istine. This  new  enemy  is  doomed  to  die  like  those  who 
have  gone  before  him  ,  only  let  him  not  be  mistaken  for  a 
friend. 

Deeply  do  we  agree  with  the  call  of  the  more  devout 
among  the  letter-writers,  for  a  more  determined  effort  to 
spread  the  gospel.  Wherever  more  can  be  done,  let  it  be 
done  at  once,  in  dependence  upon  the  Spirit  of  God.  But  it 
is  idle  to  go  down  to  the  battle  with  enemies  in  the  camp. 
With  what  weapons  are  we  to  go  forth  ?  If  those  which  we 
have  proved  "mighty  through  God  to  the  pulling  down  of 
strongholds"  are  taken  from  us,  what  are  we  to  do?  How 
can  those  evangelize  who  have  no  evangel  ?  What  fruit  but 
evil  can  come  of  "the  new  theology"?  Let  us  know  where 
we  are.  In  the  meantime,  those  of  us  who  raise  these  ques- 
tions are  not  among  the  idlers,  nor  are  we  a  whit  behind  the 
very  chief  of  those  who  seek  to  win  souls. 

Some  words  have  been  used  which  call  the  writer  a  Pope, 
and  speak  of  this  enquiry  as  an  Inquisition.  Nothing  can  be 
more  silly.  Is  it  come  to  this,  that  if  we  use  our  freedom  to 
speak  our  mind  we  must  needs  be  charged  with  arrogance  ? 
Is  decision  the  same  thing  as  popery?  It  is  playing  with 
edged  tools  when  the  advanced  men  introduce  that  word, 
for  we  would  remind  them  that  there  is  another  phase  of 
popery  of  which  a  portion  of  them  have  furnished  us  grevious 
examples.  To  hide  your  beliefs,  to  bring  out  your  opinions 
cautiously,  to  use  expressions  in  other  senses  than  those 
in  which  they  are  usually  understood,  to  "show,"  as  The 
Christian  World  so  honestly  puts  it,  "a  good  deal  of  trim- 
ming, and  a  balancing  of  opposite  opinions  in  a  way  that  is 
confusing  and  unsatisfactory  to  the  hearer,"  is  a  meaner  sort 
of  popery  than  even  the  arrogance  which  is  so  gratuitously 
imputed  to  us.  It  is,  however,  very  suggestive  that  the 
letting  in  of  light  upon  men  should  be  to  them  a  torment 
equal  to  an  inquisition,  and  that  open  discussion  should  so 


THE  DOWN-GRADE.  283 

spoil  their  schemes  that  they  regard  it  as  a  torture  compar- 
able to  the  rack  and  the  stake.  What  other  harm  have  we 
done  them  ?  We  would  not  touch  a  hair  of  their  heads,  or 
deprive  them  of  an  inch  of  liberty.  Let  them  speak,  that  we 
may  know  them  ;  but  let  them  not  deny  us  the  same  free- 
dom ;  neither  let  them  denounce  us  for  defending  what  they 
are  so  eager  to  assail. 

What  action  is  to  be  taken  we  leave  to  those  who  can  see 
more  plainly  than  we  do  what  Israel  ought  to  do.  One  thing 
is  clear  to  us  :  we  cannot  be  expected  to  meet  in  any  union 
which  comprehends  those  whose  teaching  is  upon  funda- 
mental points  exactly  the  reverse  of  that  which  we  hold 
dear.  Those  who  can  do  so  will,  no  doubt,  have  weighty 
reasons  with  which  to  justify  their  action,  and  we  will  not  sit 
in  judgment  upon  those  reasons;  they  may  judge  that  a 
minority  should  not  drive  them  out.  To  us  it  appears  that 
there  are  many  things  upon  which  compromise  is  possible, 
but  there  are  others  in  which  it  would  be  an  act  of  treason 
to  pretend  to  fellowship.  With  deep  regret  we  abstain  from 
assembling  with  those  whom  we  dearly  love  and  heartily 
respect,  since  it  would  involve  us  in  a  confederacy  with  those 
with  whom  we  can  have  no  communion  in  the  Lord.  Gari- 
baldi complained  that,  by  the  cession  of  Nice  to  France,  he 
had  been  a  foreigner  in  his  native  land  ;  and  our  heart  is 
burdened  with  a  like  sorrow;  but  those  who  banish  us  may 
yet  be  of  another  mind,  and  enable  us  to  return. 

A    FRAGMENT    UPON   THE    DOWN-GRADE 
CONTROVERSY. 

By  this  time  many  of  our  readers  will  be  weary  of  the 
Down-Grade  controversy  ;  they  cannot  be  one-tenth  so  much 
tired  of  it,  or  tried  by  it,  as  we  are.  When  the  first  article 
appeared,  a  friend  wrote  to  warn  us  that  he  who  touched 
this  theme  would  gain  no  honor  thereby,  but  would  bring  a 
host  of  enemies  around  him.  We  believed  his  prophecy, 
and  with  this  as  part  of  the  reckoning  we  went  on,  for  a 
solemn  sense  of  duty  impelled  us.  The  result  is  not  other 
than  we  looked  for ;  the  treatment  our  protest  has  received 


284      LIFE  AND  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  H.  SPURGEOJV. 

is  neither  better  nor  worse  than  we  expected ;  possibly  we 
have  personally  received  more  respect  than  we  reckoned  on. 

Hitherto  (and  this  matter  is  now  merely  in  its  beginning), 
the  chief  answer  has  come  from  the  public  teachers,  and  as 
far  as  their  public  answer  is  concerned,  it  amounts,  at  its  best 
interpretation,  to  the  admission  that  there  may  be  a  little 
amiss,  but  not  enough  to  speak  about.  They  are  sorry  that  a 
few  brethren  go  rather  too  far,  but  they  are  dear  brethren  still. 
Many  good  men  lament  the  fact  that  liberty  is,  in  certain 
instances,  degenerating  into  license,  but  they  solace  them- 
selves with  the  belief  that  on  the  whole  it  is  a  sign  of  health 
and  vigor ;  the  bough  is  so  fruitful  that  it  runs  over  the  wall. 
At  any  rate,  denominational  peace  must  be  kept  up,  and 
there  must  be  no  discordant  charge  of  defection  to  break 
the  chorus  of  mutual  congratulation. 

The  intense  desire  for  union  has  its  commendable  side,  and 
we  are  far  from  undervaluing  it.  Precious  also  is  the  protest 
for  liberty,  which  certain  valorous  souls  have  lifted  up.  We 
rejoice  that  our  brethren  will  not  submit  their  consciences  to 
any  man ;  but  the  mercy  is  that  we  do  not  know  of  any  man 
who  desires  that  they  should.  Specially  is  the  object  of 
their  brave  opposition  as  free  from  a  desire  to  rule  over 
them  as  from  the  wish  to  be  ruled  by  them.  It  is  a  pity  that 
such  loyalty  to  liberty  could  not  be  associated  with  an 
equally  warm  expression  of  resolve  to  be  loyal  to  Christ  and 
His  gospel.  It  would  be  a  grievous  fault  if  the  sons  of  the 
Puritans  did  not  maintain  the  freedom  of  their  consciences  ; 
but  it  will  be  no  less  a  crime  if  they  withdraw  those  con- 
sciences from  under  the  yoke  of  Christ. 

To  pursue  union  at  the  expense  of  truth  is  treason  to  the 
Lord  Jesus.  If  we  are  prepared  to  enter  into  solemn  league 
and  covenant  for  the  defence  of  the  crown-rights  of  King 
Jesus,  we  cannot  give  up  the  crown-jewels  of  his  gospel  for 
the  sake  of  a  larger  charity.  He  is  our  Master  and  Lord, 
and  we  will  keep  His  words:  to  tamper  with  His  doctrine 
would  be  to  be  traitors  to  Himself.  Yet,  almost  uncon- 
sciously, good  men  and  true  may  drift  into  compromises 
which  they  would  not  at  first  propose,  but  which  they  seem 
forced  to  justify.     Yielding  to  be  the  creatures  of  circum- 


THE  DOWN-GRADE.  285 

stances,  they  allow  another  to  gird  them,  and  lead  them 
whither  they  would  not ;  and  when  they  wake  up,  and  find 
themselves  in  an  undesirable  condition,  they  have  not  always 
the  resolution  to  break  away  from  it.  Especially  in  the  com- 
pany of  their  equally  erring  brethren,  they  are  not  inclined 
to  consider  their  ways,  and  are  not  anxious  to  have  them 
remarked  upon  ;  and,  therefore,  in  this  brief  paper  we  ven- 
ture to  make  an  earnest  appeal  from  brethren  assembled,  to 
brethren  at  home  in  their  studies  quietly  turning  over  the 
matter. 

As  much  as  possible  we  beg  them  to  forget  the  obnoxious 
reprover,  and  to  look  the  state  of  affairs  carefully  in  the 
face,  and  see  if  it  strikes  them  as  it  does  us.  We  will  put  it 
plainly,  not  to  provoke,  but  to  be  understood. 

As  a  matter  of  fact,  believers  in  Christ's  atonement  are 
now  in  declared  religious  union  with  those  who  make  light 
of  it;  believers  in  Holy  Scripture  are  in  confederacy  with 
those  who  deny  plenary  inspiration;  those  who  hold  evan- 
gelical doctrine  are  in  open  alliance  with  those  who  call  the 
fall  a  fable,  who  deny  the  personality  of  the  Holy  Ghost, 
who  call  justification  by  faith  immoral,  and  hold  that  there 
is  another  probation  after  death,  and  a  future  restitution  for 
the  lost.  Yes,  we  have  before  us  the  wretched  spectacle  of 
professedly  orthodox  Christians  publicly  avowing  their  union 
with  those  who  deny  the  faith,  and  scarcely  concealing  their 
contempt  for  those  who  cannot  be  guilty  of  such  gross  dis- 
loyalty to  Christ.  To  be  very  plain,  we  are  unable  to  call 
these  things  Christian  unions ;  they  begin  to  look  like  con- 
federacies in  evil.  Before  the  face  of  God  we  fear  that  they 
wear  no  other  aspect.  To  our  inmost  heart  this  is  a  sad 
truth  from  which  we  cannot  break  away. 

It  is  lawful  to  unite  with  all  sorts  of  men  for  good  and 
benevolent  and  necessary  purposes,  even  as  at  a  fire,  Pagan 
and  Papist  and  Protestant  may  each  one  hand  on  the  buckets, 
and  in  a  sinking  ship,  heathen  and  Christian  alike  are  bound 
to  take  turns  at  the  pumps.  For  useful,  philanthropical  and 
political  purposes,  united  action  is  allowable  among  men  of 
the  most  diverse  views  in  religion.  But  the  case  before  us  is 
that  of  a  distinctly  religious  communion,  a  professed  fellow- 


286      LTFE  AND  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  H.  SPURGEOX. 

ship  in  Christ.  Is  this  to  be  made  so  wide  that  those  who 
contradict  each  other  on  vital  points  may  yet  pretend  to  be 
at  one? 

Furthermore,  we  should  greatly  object  to  the  sniffing  about 
for  heresy  which  some  speak  of;  but  in  this  case  the  heresy 
is  avowed,  and  is  thrust  forward  in  no  diffident  style.  No 
words  could  be  more  explicit  had  they  been  selected  as  a 
challenge.  We  have  not  to  deal  with  those  tares  which  were 
like  the  wheat,  but  with  thorns  and  thistles  which  declare 
themselves  openly.  Whether  the  Down-Grade  evil  has 
operated  on  few  or  many  is  a  question  which  may  be  waived; 
it  has  operated  manifestly  enough  upon  some,  and  they  glory 
in  it.  Yet  professedly  sound  believers  are  in  full  accord 
with  these  outspokenly  heterodox  men,  and  are  linked  with 
them  in  set  and  formal  union.  Is  this  according  to  the  mind 
of  the  God  of  truth? 

The  largest  charity  towards  those  who  are  loyal  to  the 
Lord  Jesus,  and  yet  do  not  see  with  us  on  secondary  matters, 
is  the  duty  of  all  true  Christians.  But  how  are  we  to  act 
towards  those  who  deny  his  vicarious  sacrifice,  and  ridicule 
the  great  truth  of  justification  by  his  righteousness?  These 
are  not  mistaken  friends,  but  enemies  of  the  Cross  of  Christ. 
There  is  no  use  in  employing  circumlocutions  and  polite 
terms  of  expression — where  Christ  is  not  received  as  to  the 
cleansing  power  of  his  blood  and  the  justifying  merit  of  his 
righteousness,  he  is  not  received  at  all. 

It  used  to  be  generally  accepted  in  the  Christian  Church 
that  the  line  of  Christian  communion  was  drawn  hard  and 
fast  at  the  Deity  of  our  Lord ;  but  even  this  would  appear  to 
be  altered  now.  In  various  ways  the  chasm  has  been 
bridged,  and  during  the  past  few  years  several  ministers 
have  crossed  into  Unitarianism,  and  have  declared  that  they 
perceived  little  or  no  difference  in  the  two  sides  of  the  gulf. 
In  all  probability  there  was  no  difference  to  perceive  in  the 
regions  where  they  abode.  It  is  our  solemn  conviction  that 
where  there  can  be  no  real  spiritual  communion  there  should 
be  no  pretence  of  fellowship.  Fellowship  with  known  and 
vital  error  is  participation  in  sin.  Those  who  know  and 
love  the  truth  of   God  cannot  have  fellowship  with  that 


THE   DOWN-GRADE.  287 

which  is  diametrically  opposed  thereto,  and  there  can  be  no 
reason  why  they  should  pretend  that  they  have  such  fellow- 
ship. 

We  cheerfully  admit  that  among  men  who  possess  the 
divine  life,  and  a  consequent  discernment  of  truth,  there 
will  be  differences  of  attainment  and  perception  ;  and  that 
these  differences  are  no  barriers  to  love  and  union.  But  it  is 
another  matter  when  we  come  to  receiving  or  rejecting  the 
vicarious  secrifice  and  the  justifying  righteousness  of  our 
Lord.  We  who  believe  Holy  Scripture  to  be  the  inspired 
truth  of  God  cannot  have  fellowship  with  those  who  deny 
the  authority  from  which  we  derive  all  our  teaching.  We  go 
to  our  pulpits  to  save  a  fallen  race,  and  believe  that  they  must 
be  saved  in  this  life,  or  perish  forever  :  how  can  we  profess 
brotherhood  with  those  who  deny  the  fall  of  man,  and  hold 
out  to  him  the  hope  of  another  probation  after  death?  They 
have  all  the  liberty  in  the  world,  and  we  would  be  the  last  to 
abridge  it ;  but  that  liberty  cannot  demand  our  co-operation. 
If  these  men  believe  such  things,  let  them  teach  them,  and 
construct  churches,  unions,  and  brotherhoods  for  themselves! 
Why  must  they  come  among  us  ?  When  they  enter  among 
us  at  unawares,  and  are  resolved  to  stay,  what  can  we  do? 
The  question  is  not  soon  answered  ;  but,  surely,  in  no  case 
will  we  give  them  fellowship,  or  profess  to  do  so. 

During  the  past  month  many  have  put  to  us  the  anxious 
question,  "What  shall  we  do?  To  these  we  have  had  no 
answer  to  give  except  that  each  one  must  act  for  himself 
after  seeking  direction  of  the  Lord.  In  our  own  case  we 
intimated  our  course  of  action  in  last  month's  paper.  We 
retire  at  once  and  distinctly  from  the  Baptist  Union.  The 
Baptist  churches  are  each  one  of  them  self-contained  and 
independent.  The  Baptist  Union  is  only  a  voluntary  asso- 
ciation of  such  churches,  and  it  is  a  simple  matter  for  a 
church  or  an  individual  to  withdraw  from  it.  The  union,  as 
at  present  constituted,  has  no  disciplinary  power,  for  it  has  no 
doctrinal  basis  whatever,  and  we  see  no  reason  why  every 
form  of  belief  and  misbelief  should  not  be  comprehended  in 
it  so  long  as  immersion  only  is  acknowledged  as  baptism. 
There  is  no  use  in  blaming  the  union  for  harbouring  errors 


288      LIFE  AND  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  II.  SPURGEON. 

of  the  extremest  kind,  for,  so  far  as  we  can  see,  it  is  power- 
less to  help  itself,  if  it  even  wished  to  do  so.  Those  who 
originally  founded  it  made  it  "without  form  and  void,"  and 
so  it  must  remain.  At  least,  we  do  not  see  any  likelihood  of 
a  change.  A  large  number  have  this  state  of  things  in 
admiration,  and  will  go  on  with  it ;  we  have  no  such  admira- 
tion, and,  therefore,  have  ceased  from  it.  But  we  want  out- 
siders to  know  that  we  are  in  nowise  altered  in  our  faith,  or 
in  our  denominational  position.  As  a  baptized  believer,  our 
place  is  where  it  has  ever  been. 

Why  not  start  a  nezu  Denomination  ?  This  is  not  a  question 
for  which  we  have  any  liking.  There  are  denominations 
enough.  If  there  were  a  new  denomination  formed  the  thieves 
and  robbers  who  have  entered  other  "gardens  walled  round" 
would  climb  into  this  also,  and  so  nothing  would  be  gained. 
Besides,  the  expedient  is  not  needed  among  churches  which 
are  each  one  self-governing  and  self-determining :  such 
churches  can  find  their  own  affinities  without  difficulty,  and 
can  keep  their  own  coasts  clear  of  invaders.  Since  each 
vessel  is  seaworthy  in  herself,  let  the  hampering  ropes  be 
cut  clean  away,  and  no  more  lines  of  communication  be 
thrown  out  until  we  know  that  we  are  alongside  a  friend  who 
sails  under  the  same  glorious  flag.  In  the  isolation  of  inde- 
pendency, tempered  by  the  love  of  the  Spirit  which  binds  us 
to  all  the  faithful  in  Christ  Jesus,  we  think  the  lovers  of  the 
gospel  will  for  the  present  find  their  immediate  safety.  Oh, 
that  the  day  would  come  when,  in  a  larger  communion  than 
any  sect  can  offer,  all  those  who  are  one  in  Christ  may  be 
able  to  blend  in  manifest  unity  !  This  can  only  come  by  the 
way  of  growing  spiritual  life,  clearer  light  upon  the  one 
eternal  truth,  and  a  closer  cleaving  in  all  things  to 'him  who 
is  the  Head,  even  Christ  Jesus. 


THE  "DOWN-GRADE"  AND  THE  UP-GRADE.     2S9 


[From  The  Sword  and  the  Trowel of  August,  1888.] 

The  "Down-Grade"  and  the  Up-Grade; 

OR,    THE}     F*OWER    OE"    TRUTH. 


BY    REV.    C.    H.    SPURGEON. 


The  decay  of  true  piety,  or  godliness  of  life,  has  commonly 
been  associated  with  a  defection  of  doctrinal  belief;  or,  in 
other  words,  a  departure  from  the  faith  of  the  gospel  of 
Jesus  Christ.  On  the  other  hand,  a  Vevival  of  true  religion 
has  commonly  been  attended  with  or  followed  by  a  renewed 
attachment  to  evangelical  truth.  This  may  be  very  much 
like  saying  over  again  the  memorable  words  of  Luther,  that 
the  holding  or  not  holding  the  doctrine  of  justification  by 
faith  is  the  test  of  a  standing  or  a  falling  church.  Of  course, 
he  meant,  and  we  mean,  not  the  holding  of  evangelical  doc- 
trine in  a  theological  or  philosophical  sense  only,  but  the 
holding  the  truth  in  its  living  power,  and  gracious,  holy 
influence.  The  history  of  Christianity  and  of  Christian 
churches  in  England,  Wales,  Scotland,  France,  Germany, 
and  other  parts  of  Europe  amply  corroborates  this  statement. 
But  nowhere  do  we  see  it  more  plainly  than  in  the  history  of 
the  Christian  church  in  Geneva,  the  city  of  John  Calvin. 

The  common  course  in  the  Down-Grade  movement  has 
been,  first  of  all,  while  still  professedly  holding  the  truth,  to 
hold  it  less  and  less  in  its  living,  experimental  power,  until 
it  has  become  little  -more  than  a  theory  or  a  form.  Next,  it 
has  been  common  to  gradually  drop  the  form  of  sound 
words,  and  to  make  the  opinions  square  with  the  life,  instead 
of  permitting  living  principles  to  inspire  and  regulate  the 
conduct.     Finally,  it  has  sometimes  happened,  according  to 


290      LIFE  AND  IVOR  A"  OF  REV.  C.  H.  SPURGEOX. 

the  temper  of  the  man  and  his  associations,  to  deny,  slander, 
and  denounce  the  very  truths  he  once  professed  to  hold  and 
teach.  The  surroundings  of  iniquity,  especially  iniquity  in  a 
dress  of  religion,  will  soon  cool  down  the  fervor  of  inward 
piety  if  the  repellant  power  of  faith  and  prayer  and  com- 
munion with  Christ  be  wanting ;  and  when  love  to  Christ 
has  been  cooled  down  to  the  point  of  tolerating  error  and 
sin,  and  living  in  conformity  to  the  world,  the  full  result  of 
spiritual  deadness  and  disloyalty  to  Christ  and  his  truth  is 
soon  reached. 

In  reference  to  Geneva,  and  the  lamentable  departures  of 
its  ministers  and  people  from  the  true  faith,  which  reached  its 
maximum  in  the  early  part  of  the  present  century,  there  was 
not  only  a  departure  from  sound  doctrine  as  taught  by  the 
greatest  of  the  Reformers,  but  from  all  evangelical  truth, 
until  the  ministers  and  professors,  and  most  of  the  students, 
were  either  Arians  or  Socinians.  We  cannot  go  into  details, 
but  we  will  give  a  brief  summary  of  the  state  of  things. 
When  we  see  plants  and  shrubs,  plucked  up  by  the  roots  and 
trodden  under  foot,  we  know  that  the  hand  of  the  spoiler 
has  been  there,  turning  the  blossoming  garden  into  a  ruinous 
waste.  Something  like  this  had  taken  place  in  the  city  of 
Geneva.  It  had  passed  through  great  political  conflicts  in 
connection  with  the  first  French  Revolution  and  the  wars  of 
Napoleon  I ;  but  these  tribulations  did  not  work  either 
patience  or  humility.  Trial  should  have  led  the  Protestants 
to  a  deeper,  truer,  and  stronger  faith  in  Him,  who  comforteth 
his  own  in  all  their  tribulations  ;  but  instead  thereof,  it  made 
them  haughty,  and  hard,  and  daringly  impious.  As  to  their 
faith,  they  were  altogether  on  the  dozt'n-Iitie ;  and  they  not 
only  had  no  brake  to  check  their  descent,  but  they  desired 
none.  Professing  themselves  to  be  wise,  they  had  become 
fools. 

James  Alexander  Haldane,  Esq.,  in  writing  the  memoirs  of 
his  uncle  and  father,  Robert  and  James  A.  Haldane,  describes 
Geneva  as  it  was  in  its  former  glory,  and  as  it  was  in  its 
shame  and  disgrace : 

"Geneva  is  one  of  those  names  which  symbolizes  some- 
thing far  more  glorious  than  the  little  town,  whose  ancient 


THE  "DOWN-GRADE"  AND  THE  UP-GRADE.      291 

battlements  were  at  once  the  monuments  of  the  defensive 
skill  of  Vauban,  and  the  persecuting  tyranny  of  the  house  of 
Savoy.  Geneva  has  been  for  ages  a  term  antagonistic  to 
Rome.  Placed  at  the  extremity  of  its  own  placid  and  beauti- 
ful lake,  where  the  blue  waters  of  the  arrowy  Rhone  rush 
onwards  to  the  ocean,  this  free  city,  as  if  designed  by  God  to 
be  a  witness  against  Popery,  whether  Ultramontane  or  Galli- 
can,  stood  between  the  Jura  and  the  Alps,  themselves  the 
types  of  beauty  and  sublimity.  Within  its  hospitable  gates 
were  received  several  of  the  Italian  families  proscribed  for 
favoring  the  Reformation.  It  was  the  city  where  Knox,  with 
other  exiles  from  Scotland,  found  an  asylum,  and  whence  he 
imported  into  his  own  favored  land  that  form  of  church 
government  to  which  Scotland  has  so  fondly  and  firmly 
adhered.  At  a  later  period  it  welcomed  many  of  the  French 
who  fled  from  the  persecution  which  followed  the  revocation 
of  the  Edict  of  Nantes.  Geneva  was,  indeed,  the  glory  of 
the  Reformation,  the  battle-field  of  light  and  darkness,  the 
Thermopylae  of  Protestantism,  from  whose  Alpine  heights 
the  light  of  gospel  truth  once  streamed  forth  with  brilliant 
lustre  athwart  the  blackness  of  papal  superstition.  But 
Geneva  fell  from  its  ancestral  faith,  and  proved  how  vain  are 
historic  names,  orthodox  creeds,  and  religious  formularies, 
iv lie re  the  Spirit  ceases  to  animate  the  lifeless  frame." 

As  far  back  as  1757  a  celebrated  French  infidel  compli 
mented  (?)  the  pastors  of  the  city  in  an  article  in  the  French 
Encyclopaedia,  after  his  own  fashion:  "To  say  all  in  one 
word,  many  of  the  pastors  of  Geneva  have  no  other  religion 
but  a  perfect  Socinianism,  rejecting  all  that  they  call 
mysteries." 

Be  it  remembered,  that  they  did  not  call  themselves  Socin- 
ians.  No,  their  apostasy  was  less  open  than  real.  The  same 
infidel  writer,  with  a  befitting  sarcasm,  adds,  "I  should  be 
extremely  concerned  to  be  suspected  of  having  betrayed 
their  secret." 

One  fi  uitful  source  of  false  doctrine,  and  a  frequent  means 
of  the  subtle  dissemination  of  error,  was  the  plan  practised 
by  the  Professor  Vinet  of  that  day  (1779)  of  allowing  students 
to  maintain  before  him  Arian  theses.    This  was  the  mistake 


292     LIFE  AND  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  II.  SPURGE  ON. 

at  Northampton  and  Daventry,  which  was  so  fatal  to  many 
students,  of  which  Dr.  Priestly  was  one.  Is  the  same  mistake 
repeated  as  to  other  errors  in  any  of  the  Nonconformist 
colleges  of  to-day  ?  If  so,  it  behoves  all  who  are  concerned 
to  see  to  it.  I  suppose  few  persons,  if  any,  are  so  absurd  as 
to  place  upon  their  table  wholesome  bread,  and  bread  with 
an  admixture  of  poisonous  ingredients,  that  their  children 
and  friends  may  taste  and  see,  and  take  that  which  they 
prefer. 

At  the  early  part  of  this  century,  Jean  Jacques  Rousseau 
lived  near  Geneva.  In  one  of  his  letters  he  writes  his 
opinion  of  the  Genevan  ministers  of  his  day  : 

"It  is  asked  of  the  ministers  of  the  Church  of  Geneva,  if 
Jesus  Christ  be  God  ?  They  dare  not  answer.  It  is  asked, 
if  he  were  a  mere  man  ?  They  are  embarrassed,  and  will 
not  say  they  think  so.  A  philosopher,  with  a  glance  of  the 
eye,  penetrates  their  character.  He  sees  them  to  be  Arians, 
Socinians,  Deists;  he  proclaims  it,  and  thinks  he  does  them 
honor.  They  are  alarmed,  terrified ;  they  come  together, 
they  discuss,  they  are  in  agitation,  they  know  not  to  which 
of  the  saints  they  should  turn  ;  and,  after  earnest  consulta- 
tions, deliberations,  conferences,  all  vanishes  in  amphigouri; 
and  they  neither  say  'Yes,' nor  'No.'  O  Genevans,  these 
gentlemen,  your  ministers,  in  truth  are  very  singular  people! 
They  do  not  know  what  they  believe,  or  what  they  do  not 
believe.  They  do  not  even  know  what  they  would  wish  to 
appear  to  believe.  Their  only  manner  of  establishing  their 
faith  is  to  attack  the  faith  of  others." 

French  intercourse,  specially  during  the  First  Empire,  led 
to  the  introduction  of  French  manners.  The  Sunday  even- 
ings saw  the  theatres  open ;  and  it  was  by  no  means  an 
unusual  thing  for  the  pastors  to  dismiss  their  congregations 
earlier  on  the  occasion  of  solemn  festivals,  that  they  might 
themselves  join  in  the  festivities  of  the  Lord's-day,  which 
were  closed  with — fireworks  on  the  lake. 

We,  in  England,  may  seem  to  be  a  very  long  way  from  this 
state  of  things,  but  we  must  not  be  the  victims  of  a  false 
security.  It  is  well  known  that,  in  the  ritualistic  section  of 
the  Church  of  England,  people  are  found  at  the  theatre  at 


THE  "DOWN-GRADE"  AND  THE  UP-GRADE.      293 

night,  and  at  the  communion  the  next  morning  ;  and  that  after 
an  "early  celebration"  on  Lord's-days,  the  evening  may  be 
devoted  to  the  claims  of  a  dinner-party,  or  to  lawn-tennis. 
In  many  Nonconformist  circles  it  is  the  custom  to  attend 
chapel  in  the  morning  only,  and  spend  the  rest  of  the  day  at 
home — doing  what  ?  We  do  not  say.  It  may  be  in  reading 
good  books,  catechizing  the  children  and  servants,  or,  after 
the  manner  of  our  fathers,  going  over  the  morning  sermon 
with  them.  But  we  suspect  many  people  would  laugh  at  us 
if  we  even  suggested  such  a  thing.  One  instance  is  well 
known  to  us  in  which  a  rather  loud  professor  has  a  "musical 
evening"  on  the  Sabbath,  with  a  considerable  medley  of 
invited  guests,  for  whom  are  provided  the  choicest  refresh- 
ments. The  Christian  World  has  done  much  harm  in  the 
direction  of  secularizing  the  Sabbath,  and  other  publications 
have  followed  in  its  wake.  The  first  part  of  its  title  has  been 
supposed  to  sanctify  all  its  contents  ;  or,  at  least,  people  have 
acted  as  if  they  thought  so,  and  so  the  tinge  of  "Christian" 
has  been  the  sugar-coat  for  the  great  bolus  of  the  "World," 
and  all  has  been  swallowed  together. 

But  God  has  never  left  himself  without  a  witness,  neither 
did  he  in  Geneva.  There  were  a  few  young  men,  thoughtful 
and  religiously  disposed,  who  saw  through  the  shams  of  the 
pastors,  or  at  least  had  a  yearning  for  something  different 
from  the  chaff  of  human  opinions  which  was  dealt  out  at  the 
churches  from  Sunday  to  Sunday.  These  young  men  formed 
a  society,  which  lived  a  little  beyond  its  first  annual  report. 
They  were  only  half  enlightened,  but  they  were  the  posses- 
sors of  a  love  to  Christ  which  panted  for  a  fuller  revelation 
of  him.  After  a  time  the  society  was  broken  up,  some  being 
removed,  and  others  having  found  a  Moravian  congregation 
to  unite  with.  One  of  these  earnest  seekers  was  induced  to 
enter  the  household  of  Madame  Krudener,  as  her  chaplain. 
Her  views  of  divine  truth  were  far  from  distinct,  and  light 
was  lacking. 

In  1816,  a  Welshman,  or  possibly  an  Englishman,  of  the 
artisan  class,  of  the  Calvinistic  Methodist  persuasion,  settled 
at  Geneva,  on  the  ground  of  the  ancient  convent,  where, 
nearly  three  hundred  years  before,  the  Reformation  was  first 


294      LIFE  AXD  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  H.  SPURGEON. 

proclaimed  by  William  Farel.  The  name  of  this  good  man 
was  Richard  Wilcox.  He  took  his  religion  with  him  when 
he  left  his  native  land  for  a  foreign  country,  for  it  evidently 
had  its  seat  in  his  heart.  He  met  a  few  of  the  members  of 
the  disbanded  religious  society  which  we  have  just  men- 
tioned, and  he  gave  the  enquirers  the  benefit  of  his  knowl- 
edge and  experience.  He  was  so  far  a  true  Calvinist  as  to 
dwell  much  on  the  eternal  love  of  God  the  Father,  and  on 
the  certainty  of  the  salvation  of  all  his  chosen  people ;  but 
he  lacked  one  important  feature  of  Calvinistic  doctrine,  the 
inviting  of  all  who  hear  the  gospel  to  come  to  Christ  and 
believe  on  him  unto  eternal  life.  In  this  he  fell  short,  but 
nevertheless  he  strengthened  those  who  came  into  close 
fellowship  with  him  in  the  true  faith  of  Christ. 

It  is  a  very  common  thing  with  preachers  who  dislike  Cal- 
vinistic doctrine,  especially  those  who  have  never  given 
themselves  the  trouble  to  study  it  carefully  and  closely,  to 
draw  carricatures  of  Calvinism,  or,  as  a  distinguished 
preacher  has  lately  remarked,  to  set  up  Calvinism  as  a  kind 
of  target  against  which  to  discharge  their  arrows  ;  in  doing 
so  they  not  only  misrepresent  some  of  the  most  earnest  and 
successful  preachers  of  God's  Word,  but  they  mislead  their 
hearers.  In  certain  cases  which  have  come  to  the  knowl- 
edge of  the  writer,  young  men  of  small  experience,  with  a 
daring  which  wiser  men  would  never  have  displayed,  have 
held  up  to  ridicule  the  thing  they  called  Calvinism,  which 
was  not  Calvinism  at  all,  but  some  scarecrow  of  their  own 
dressing  up,  like  unto  nothing  in  either  heaven  or  earth.  At 
the  same  time,  these  gentlemen  left  their  hearers  to  guess 
what  doctrines  they  would  have  them  receive  in  the  place  of 
those  they  would  have  them  renounce.  There  is  an  old 
proverb  about  children  playing  with  edge-tools,  which  we 
will  not  repeat,  for  we  intend  not  to  be  unkind,  but 
would  rather  "rebuke  them  sharply  that  they  may  be  sound 
in  the  faith."  There  is  a  temptation  in  this  age  of 
change  to  make  truth  subservient  to  charity,  and  every- 
thing to  popularity.  But  this  is  folly.  Whatever  new  kinds 
of  diet  may  be  invented,  bread  will  always  be  in  request ; 
and  when  all  the  changing  notions  of  theological  speculators, 


TirE"DOWAr-GRADE"  AXD   THE  UP-GRADE.      295 

and  all  the  quiddities  of  those  who  are  wise  in  their  own  eyes 
have  had  their  little  day,  and  lie  like  drifted  wood  on  the 
shores  of  time,  the  eternities  of  Jehovah  will  remain  the  joy 
and  song  of  the  redeemed.  Eternal  love,  eternal  life,  eternal 
redemption;  everlasting  righteousness;  everlasting  salva- 
tion, according  to  an  everlasting  covenant,  will  be  the  ever- 
lasting portion  and  the  eternal  joy  of  all  the  called,  and 
chosen,  and  faithful. 

Would  that  we  could  speak  a  word  kindly,  and  in  a  broth- 
erly or  fatherly,  or,  at  least  a  Christian  spirit,  to  some  of 
those  men,  young  men  mostly,  whom  Satan  is  trying  to  get 
into  his  sieve,  and  bewich  with  a  love  for  novelties  and  the 
tilings  that  "go"  with  the  unthinking  multitude;  we  would 
not  tell  them  to  wait  until  they  are  sure  they  have  a  God-given 
message  to  the  people,  and  a  "Thus  saith  the  Lord"  for  what 
they  deliver  in  his  name,  but  we  would  ask  them  humbly 
and  patiently  to  wait  upon  God,  and  lay  aside  every  consid- 
eration of  success,  advancement,  and  widening  influence ; 
and,  like  young  Samuel,  cry,  "Speak,  Lord,  for  thy  servant 
heareth." 

Coming  back  to  Geneva,  we  find  that  towards  the  close  of 
1816,  Richard  Wilcox  was  about  to  leave  Geneva,  and  that 
M.  Empeytaz,  one  of  the  leaders  of  the  little  band  of  en- 
quirers, was  also  quitting  the  field  of  conflict,  where  the  min- 
isters, with  their  lay-assistants  and  the  government  officers, 
called  the  Consistory,  were  determined  to  crush  him.  His 
friend  and  colleague,  M.  Bost,  was  also  leaving  for  the  Canton 
of  Berne.  The  outlook  was  dark  for  the  praying  few,  who 
were  like  those  "feeble  Jews,"  in  the  days  of  Nehemiah, 
who  sought  to  rebuild  the  ruined  temple  of  the  Lord  on  the 
original  foundations.  But  help  was  at  hand.  When  was  the 
time  that  there  was  not  "redemption  in  Israel?  "  And  who- 
ever looked  for  "  redemption  in  Israel  "  in  vain  ? 

It  was  in  the  autumn  of  this  year,  that  Mr.  Robert  Hal- 
dane,  in  a  remarkable  way,  had  his  steps  directed  of  God  to 
return  to  Geneva,  after  having,  as  he  supposed,  finally  left 
it.  He  was  well  adapted  for  the  work,  as  all  God's  instru- 
ments are.  He  was  not  a  minister,  as  that  term  is  usually 
understood,   but  a  gentleman  having  means   at  command. 


296      LIFE  AND  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  H.  SPURGEON. 

He  was  one  well  instructed  in  the  things  of  the  kingdom  of 
God  ;  an  all  round  Calvinist,  sober  minded  and  spiritually 
minded,  with  a  maturity  of  understanding,  an  experience  of 
divine  truth,  and  a  ripeness  of  Christian  character  rarely 
combined.  He  had  also  a  zeal  well  balanced  by  prudence,  a 
devotion  to  God  and  His  cause,  and  a  courage  which  had 
been  proved  in  the  service  of  his  king  and  country. 

The  time,  too,  was  opportune.  There  had  been  some 
little  stir  made  by  a  pamphlet,  entitled  "Considerations  on 
the  Divinity  of  Jesus  Christ."  Henri  Empeytaz,  its  author, 
we  have  already  mentioned.  Though  to  an  ordinary  body  of 
evangelical  ministers  or  students  it  would  appear  nothing 
special,  this  book  created  a  good  deal  of  excitement  among 
the  rationalistic  students  at  Geneva.  They  assembled  in  the 
great  hall  of  the  Consistory,  and  having  elected  one  of  their 
number  chairman,  passed  an  address  to  the  "  venerable  com- 
pany "  of  pastors,  in  which  they  solemnly  protested  against 
the  "odious  aggression"  of  the  "calumnious"  pamphlet. 
Two  only  of  the  students— M.  Henri  Pyt  and  M.  Guers— re- 
fused to  sign  it.  The  president  was  M.  Merle  D'Aubigne, 
who  soon  appeared  with  new  surroundings. 

Mr.  Haldane  commenced  reading  the  scriptures  in  one  of 
the  rooms  of  his  hotel.  As  he  could  nut  speak  French  with 
sufficient  accuracy  for  his  purpose,  he  employed  one  of  the 
students  as  an  interpreter.  The  first  was  M.  Rieu,  then  M. 
Frederic  Monod,  then  M.  James.  His  expositions  were 
clear,  forcible,  and  both  earnest  and  striking.  The  first 
student  brought  others,  and  at  length  he  met  a  number  of 
them  twice  a  week,  to  whom  he  expounded  the  Epistle  to 
the  Romans.  As  those  expositions  were  afterwards  pub- 
lished, and  the  work  is  still  procurable,  they  need  not  be 
further  described  than  that  they  were  thoroughly  Pauline  in 
their  character,  Calvinistic  in  doctrine,  and  evangelical  in 
spirit.  These  readings  and  expositions  were  carried  on  to 
the  end  of  the  session  in  the  summer,  and  wonderful  was  the 
result.  Among  the  converts  were  men  to  whom  the  church 
and  the  world  are  under  everlasting  obligations.  If  we  men- 
tion the  names  of  some  of  the  better  known,  that  must  be 
sufficient :    Dr.  Merle  D'Aubigne,  Frederic  Monod,  Gaussen, 


THE  "DOWN-GRADE"  AND   THE  UP-GRADE.      297 

Henri  Pyt,  M.  Guers,  M.  James,  Charles  Rieu,  M.  Gonthier, 
and  last,  but  not  least,  Dr.  Caesar  Malan.  This  last,  as  we 
are  told  by  her  sister,  was  the  means  of  leading  Charlotte 
Elliott  into  the  light  and  liberty  of  the  gospel — that  gospel 
she  so  well  understood,  Calvinist  as  she  was,  and  has  so 
forcibly  and  beautifully  expressed  in  her  world-known  hymn, 

"Just  as  I  am,  without  one  p'.ea,"  &c. 

In  Geneva,  and  France,  and  Switzerland,  and  elsewhere,  the 
Word  of  the  Lord  ran  and  was  glorified  through  the  ministry 
and  writings  of  those  men  who  were  either  first  awakened 
or  led  into  the  liberty  of  the  gospel  by  the  clear  and  lucid 
expositions  of  Mr.  Haldane.  A  foundation  was  also  laid  for 
evangelistic  efforts  both  at  home  and  abroad  in  the  future. 

Felix  Neff,  "The  Pastor  of  the  Alps,"  was  not  immedi- 
ately one  of  the  fruits  of  Mr.  Haldane's  labors,  but  he  was 
indirectly  such,  through  the  instructions  of  Gonthier  and 
Francois  Olivier. 

The  conversion  of  D'Aubigne  was  very  remarkable.  It  is 
the  fashion  nowadays  in  many  nonconformist  pulpits  to 
ignore  the  doctrine  of  the  fall  of  man,  and  the  total  aliena- 
tion and  corruption  of  the  human  heart.  There  are  minis- 
ters, not  a  few,  who  would  be  offended  and  indignant  if  one 
were  to  ascribe  to  them  such  sentiments  concerning  the 
depravity  of  man  as  were  held  and  taught  by  Mr.  Haldane, 
yet — hear  it !  all  ye  who  only  preach  the  doctrine  in  an 
undertone — God  blessed  the  preaching  of  this  doctrine  in  a 
remarkable  way. 

Young  D'Aubigne  heard  of  Mr.  Haldane  as  the  English  or 
Scotch  gentleman  who  spoke  so  much  about  the  Bible,  a 
book  with  which  he  had  only  a  slight  acquaintance.  One 
day  he  met  Mr.  Haldane  at  a  private  house  with  some 
friends,  and  heard  him  read  from  an  English  Bible,  and 
expound  a  chapter  of  the  Epistle  to  the  Romans,  concerning 
the  natural  corruption  of  man,  a  doctrine  of  which  he  had 
no  knowledge.  The  truth  was  astounding  to  him,  but  he  was 
clearly  convinced  of  it  by  the  passage  read,  and  he  said  to 
Mr.  Haldane:  "Now  I  do  indeed  see  this  doctrine  in  the 
Bible."     "Yes,"  replied  the  venerable  man,  '  but  do  you  see 


29S      LIFE  AND  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  //.  SPURGEON. 

it  in  your  heart?  "  That  simple  question  was  carried  home 
to  his  heart.  It  was  the  sword  of  the  Spirit.  He  was  thor- 
oughly convinced  of  the  corruption  of  his  own  nature,  and 
he  gladly  embraced  the  truth  of  salvation  by  grace  alone. 
Thus  did  God  prepare  him  to  be  the  historian  of  the 
Reformation. 

After  Mr.  Haldane  left  Geneva,  in  the  summer  of  1817,  he 
spent  two  years  at  Montauban,  where  were  6,000  or  7,000 
Protestants,  and  where  was  a  Protestant  college,  established 
by  Napoleon  I,  having  then  some  sixty  students.  Here  he 
labored  with  fidelity  and  blessed  success. 

Now  we  want  to  make  one  or  two  observations  on  the 
foregoing. 

First,  we  see  the  sad  results  of  declension  from  the  truth, 
and  yielding  to  the  specious  pleas  of  rationalism  concerning 
inspiration,  the  Divinity  of  Christ,  his  death  as  an  atone- 
ment for  sin,  justification  by  faith,  the  work  of  the  Holy 
Spirit  in  conversion,  and  such  like.  These  truths  are  like  so 
many  links  in  a  chain :  give  up  one,  and,  in  effect,  you  give 
up  all,  and  you  have  nothing  left  but  a  cold,  dreary,  hopeless 
scepticism.  Therefore,  we  must  neither  give  them  up  our- 
selves, nor  connive  at  or  shelter  those  that  do.  Truth  first, 
and  friendship  and  charity  afterwards. 

A  course  which  has  been  often  recommended  by  good 
men,  and  which  may  be  right  in  some  cases — that  of  avoid- 
ing controverted  subjects,  and  simply  dwelling  on  truths 
commonly  received  among  professing  Christians — was  not 
that  followed  by  Mr.  Haldane.  It  could  not  well  be  ;  in  him 
vagueness  would  have  been  ill-timed  and  criminal.  The 
pastors  and  professors  in  the  faculty  heard  of  the  doctrines 
he  was  teaching,  and  they  preached  openly  against  what  he 
taught  ;  while  he,  on  the  other  hand,  collected  their  argu- 
ments and  labored  to  destroy  their  heresies.  They  taught  that 
men  are  born  pure,  and  spoke  of  the  Savior  as  the  first  of 
created  beings  ;  and  he  boldly  opposed  and  refuted  these 
errors.  They  taught  that  the  gospel  was  useful,  but  not 
necessary  to  salvation ;  but  he  declared,  with  all  boldness, 
that  there  is  "None  other  name  under  heaven  given  among 
men  whereby  we  must  be  saved."     It  was  not,  therefore,  by 


THE  "DOWN-GRADE'  AND   THE  UP-GRADE.      299 

avoiding  controversy  and  controverted  doctrines,  that  he 
labored  to  raise  up  the  fallen  standard  of  the  gospel  at 
Geneva,  but  by  declaring  the  whole  counsel  of  God, 
"dwelling,"  as  he  says  in  his  letter  to  Rev.  E.  Bickersteth, 
"on  every  doctrine  of  the  Bible,  whether  it  was  controverted 
or  not,  or  however  repulsive  to  the  carnal  mind ;  and  con- 
fronting and  bringing  to  the  test  of  Scripture  every  argu- 
ment leveled  at  my  instructions,  both  by  pastors  and  pro- 
fessors." 

This  full,  unhesitating,  all-round  exposition  and  declara- 
tion of  the  gospel  is  wanted  now.  Let  the  truth  be  pro- 
claimed from  the  house-top,  with  no  rounding  off  of  angles, 
and  no  apologizing  for  its  sternness.  Let  us  declare  "all  the 
counsel  of  God,"  and  leave  our  own  comfoit  to  him  whose 
honor  should  be  more  to  us  than  life  itself. 

It  is  clear  that  there  is  a  mighty  power  in  those  truths 
which  are  denominated  evangelical.  Mr.  Haldane's  methods 
was  far  enough  removed  from  professional  revivalism  and 
every  kind  of  sensationalism.  It  was  by  the  plain,  hum- 
bling, unwelcome  truths  about  sin  and  salvation,  plainly 
spoken,  but  earnestly  and  affectionately  pressed,  that  God 
wrought  so  marvelously.  The  Lord  used  those  very  truths 
which  are  so  little  preached,  and  so  little  understood,  in 
these  days.  Many  are  trying  to  work  men  up*to  Christ's 
character  and  excellence,  without  first  of  all  bringing  them 
into  contact  with  Christ  as  the  source  oPall  .grace,  righteous- 
ness, salvation,  holiness,  and  spiritual  power.  It  was  the 
"virtue" — the  healing  power — that  went  out  of  Christ,  re- 
sponsive to  the  act  of  faith  in  the  diseased  woman,  that 
effected  her  cure  ;  and  it  must  be  so  in  salvation  ;  for  Jesus 
is  all-in-all,  that  God  may  have  the  glory  of  all.  Christ  will 
never  be  truly  understood  as  Exemplar  till  he  is  received  as 
a  Sacrifice ;  and  certainly  he  will  never  be  followed  in  his 
life  till  the  disciple  has  been  quickened  through  faith  in  his 
death.  You  must  take  the  Lord  Jesus  as  a  whole,  and  then 
there  flows  from  him  a  wondrous  power  for  moral  cleansing , 
then,  we  say,  and  not  till  then.  Christ  crucified,  and  all  the 
great  doctrines  which  surround  him  and  his  cross,  are  the 
great  restoratives  of  our  fallen  humanity. 


300      LIFE  A. YD  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  If.  SPURGEON. 

Now,  if  these  truths  are  the  channels  of  such  mighty 
power,  and  if  God  has,  in  numberless  instances,  so  wonder- 
fully blessed  them,  those  men  run  a  fearful  risk  who  ignore, 
deny,  underrate,  or  throw  them  aside.  There  may  yet  be 
new  modes  of  traveling,  and  new  methods  of  doing  many 
things,  but  there  is  not,  there  never  will  be,  any  new  method 
of  saving  souls.  While  sin  is  what  it  is,  and  the  human 
heart  is  what  it  is ;  while  the  prince  of  darkness  holds  the 
disobedient  in  the  chains  of  enmity  to  God,  while  the  natural 
man  understandeth  not  the  things  of  the  Spirit  of  God,  the 
grace  of  God  will  be  absolutely  necessary  ;  for  only  the 
grace  of  God  can  accomplish  the  wonderful  work  of  saving 
the  lost,  raising  the  dead,  justifying  the  ungodly,  and  mak- 
ing condemned  sinners  children  of  God.  Therefore,  O 
ye  servants  of  God,  hold  fast  that  ye  have  received,  and 
never  think  of  casting  away  the  weapons  of  your  spiritual 
warfare.  The  Lord  bless  us  all  with  more  and  more  of  his 
Spirit,  his  light,  his  love,  his  power,  that  by  the  faithful 
preaching  of  the  "everlasting  gospel,"  we  may  batter  down 
the  walls  of  superstition,  error,  infidelity  and  sin. 

The  writer  of  this  article  especially  commends  to  all  the 
readers  of  The  Sivord  atid  the  Trowel*  ministerial  and  other- 
wise, a  very  excellent  work,*  by  his  old  friend,  Rev.  D 
Pledge,  of  Ramsgate.  It  is  gold  from  the  mine  of  truth,  and 
"the  gold  is  good."    The  work  is  specially  opportune. 

*  "Scripture  Verities."     Elliott  Stock  ;  and  of  the  Author. 


SELECTIONS 

FROM  THE  WORKS 

OF 

Rev.  C.  H.  Spurgeon. 


SELECTIONS 

i.  John  Ploughman's  Pictures 

2.  John  Ploughman's  Talk. 

3.  Illustrations  and  Meditations. 

4.  The  Clew  of  the  Maze. 

5.  Sermon  Extracts. 

6.  Cheque  Book. 

7.  Saltcellars. 


JO  JIN  PLOUGHMAN'S  PICTURES. 


3°5 


IF  THE  CAP  FITS,  WEAR  IT. 

Friendly  Readers  :  Last  time  I  made  a  book 
I  trod  on  some  people's  corns  and  bunions,  and  they 
wrote  me  angry  letters,  asking,  "Did  you  mean 
me!"  This  time,  to  save  them  the  expense  of  a 
halfpenny  card,  I  will  begin  my  book  by  saying, 


Whether  I  please  or  whether  I  tease, 

I'll  give  you  my  honest  mind; 
If  the  cap  should  fit,  pray  wear  it  a  bit; 

If  not  you  can  leave  it  behind. 

No  offence  is  meant;    but  if   anything  in  these 


306      LIFE  AND  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  H.  SPURGE  ON. 

pages  should  come  home  to  a  man,  let  him  not  send 
it  next  door,  but  get  a  coop  for  his  own  chickens. 
What  is  the  use  of  reading  or  hearing  for  other 
people?  We  do  not  eat  and  drink  for  them;  why 
should  we  lend  them  our  ears  and  not  our  mouths? 
Please  then,  good  friend,  if  you  find  a  hoe  on  these 
premises,  weed  your  own  garden  with  it. 

I  was  speaking  with  Will  Shepherd  the  other 
clay  about  our  master's  old  donkey,  and  I  said, 
"He  is  so  old  and  stubborn,  he  really  is  not  worth 
his  keep."  "No,"  said  Will,  "and  worse  still,  he 
is  so  vicious,  that  I  feel  sure  he'll  do  somebody  a 
mischief  one  of  these  days."  You  know  they  say 
that  walls  have  ears;  we  were  talking  rather  loud, 
but  we  did  not  know  that  there  were  ears  to  hay- 
stacks. We  stared,  I  tell  you,  when  we  saw  Joe 
Scroggs  come  from  behind  the  stack,  looking  red 
as  a  turkey-cock,  and  raving  like  mad.  He  burst 
out  swearing  at  Will  and  me,  like  a  cat  spitting  at  a 
dog.  His  monkey  was  up  and  no  mistake.  He'd  let 
us  know  that  he  was  as  good  a  man  as  either  of  us, 
or  the  two  put  together,  for  the  matter  of  that.  Talk 
about  1dm  in  that  way ;  he'd  do — I  don't  know  what. 
I  told  old  Joe  we  never  thought  of  him,  nor  said  a 
word  about  him,  and  he  might  just  as  well  save  his 
breath  to  cool  his  porridge,  for  nobody  meant  him 


JOHN  PLOUGHMAN'S  PICTURES.  307 

any  harm.  This  only  made  him  call  me  a  liar, 
and  roar  the  louder.  My  friend,  Will,  was  walking 
away,  holding  his  sides,  but  when  he  saw  that 
Scroggs  was  still  in  a  fume,  he  laughed  outright, 
and  turned  round  on  him  and  said,  "Why,  Joe,  we 
were  talking  about  master's  old  donkey,  and  not 
about  you;  but,  upon  my  word,  I  shall  never  see 
that  donkey  again  without  thinking  of  Joe  Scroggs." 
Joe  puffed  and  blowed,  but  perhaps  he  thought  it 
an  awkward  job,  for  he  backed  out  of  it,  and  Will 
and  I  went  off  to  our  work  in  rather  a  merry  cue, 
for  old  Joe  had  blundered  on  the  truth  about  himself 
for  once  in  his  life. 

The  aforesaid  Will  Shepherd  has  sometimes  come 
down  rather  heavy  upon  me  in  his  remarks,  but  it 
has  done  me  good.  It  is  partly  through  his  home 
thrusts  that  I  have  come  to  write  this  new  book,  for 
he  thought  I  was  idle  ;  perhaps  I  am,  and  perhaps 
I  am  not.  Will  forgets  that  I  have  other  fish  to  fry 
and  tails  to  butter;  and  he  does  not  recollect  that  a 
ploughman's  mind  wants  to  lie  fallow  a  little,  and 
can't  give  a  crop  every  year.  It  is  hard  to  make 
rope  when  your  hemp  is  all  used  up,  or  pancakes 
without  batter,  or  rook  pie  without  the  birds  ;  and 
so  I  found  it  hard  to  write  more  when  I  had  said 
just  about  all  I  knew. 


'3oS      LIFE  AND  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  //.  SJ't'RGEOAr. 


BURN  A  CANDLE  AT  BOTH  ENDS,  AND 
IT  WILL  SOON  BE  GONE. 

He  came  in  to  old  Alderman  Greedy "s  money  for 
he  was  his  nephew;  but,  as  the  old  saying"  is,  the 
fork  followed  the  rake,  the  spender  was  heir  to  the 


hoarder.  God  has  been  very  merciful  to  some  of 
us  in  never  letting  money  come  rolling  in  upon  us, 
for  most  men  are  carried  off  their  legs  if  they  meet 
with  a  great  wave  of  fortune.  Many  of  us  would 
have  been  bigger  sinners  if  we  had    been  trusted 


JOHN  PLOUGHMAN'S  PICTURES.  309 

with  larger  purses.  Poor  Jack  had  plenty  of  pence, 
but  little  sense.  Money  is  easier  made  than  made 
use  of.  What  is  hard  to  gather  is  easy  to  scatter. 
The  old  gentleman  had  lined  his  nest  well,  but 
Jack  made  the  feathers  fly  like  flakes  of  snow  in 
winter  time.  He  got  rid  of  his  money  by  shovelfuls 
and  then  by  cartloads.  After  spending  the  interest 
he  began  swallowing  the  capital,  and  so  killed  the 
goose  that  laid  the  golden  eggs.  He  squandered 
his  silver  and  gold  in  ways  which  must  never  be 
told.  It  would  not  go  fast  enough,  and  so  he  bought 
race-horses  to  run  away  with  it.  He  got  into  the 
hands  of  blacklegs,  and  fell  into  company  of  which 
we  shall  say  but  little;  only  when  such  madams 
smile,  men's  purses  weep;  these  are  a  well  without  a 
bottom,  and  the  more  a  fool  throws  in,  the  more  he 
may.  The  greatest  beauty  often  causes  the  great- 
est ruin.  Play,  women  and  wine  are  enough  to 
make  a  prince  a  pauper. 

Always  taking  out  and  never  putting  back  soon 
empties  the  biggest  sack,  and  so  Jack  found  it; 
but  he  took  no  notice  till  his  last  shilling  bade  him 
good-by,  and  then  he  said  he  had  been  robbed; 
like  silly  Tom  who  put  his  finger  in  the  fire  an-.' 
said  it  was  his  bad  luck. 


3io      LIFE  AND  WORK'  OF  REV.  C.  //.  SPURGEON 


IT  IS   HARD    FOR   AN    EMPTY   SACK    TO 
STAND    UPRIGHT. 

Sam  may  try  a  fine'  while  before  he  will  make 
one  of  his  empty  sacks  stand  upright.  If  he  were 
not  half  daft  he  would  have  left  off  that  job  before 


he  began  it,  and  not  have  been  an  Irishman  either. 
He  will  come  to  his  wit's  end  before  he  sets  the 
sack  on  its  end.  The  old  proverb,  printed  at  the 
top,  was  made  by  a  man  who  had  burned  his 
fingers  with  debtors,  and    it    just  means  that  when 


JOHN  PLOUGHMAN'S  PICTURES.  3n 

folks  have  no  money  and  are  over  head  and  ears 
in  debt,  as  often  as  not  they  leave  off  being  upright, 
and  tumble  over  one  way  or  another.  He  that  has 
but  four  and  spends  five  will  soon  need  no  purse, 
but  he  will  most  likely  begin  to  use  his  wits  to  keep 
himself  afloat,  and  take  to  all  sorts  of  dodges  to 
manage  it. 

Nine  times  out  of  ten  they  begin  by  making 
promises  to  pay  on  a  certain  day  when  it  is  certain 
thev  have  nothing  to  pay  with.  They  are  as  bold 
at  fixing  the  time  as  if  they  had  my  lord's  income. 
The  day  comes  round   as   sure   as  Christmas,  and 

mi  J 

then  they  haven't  a  penny-piece  in  the  world,  and 
so  they  make  all  sorts  of  excuses  and  begin  to 
promise  again.  Those  who  are  quick  to  promise 
are  generally  slow  to  perform.  They  promise 
mountains  and  perform  molehills.  He  who  gives 
you  fair  words  and  nothing  more  feeds  you  with  an 
empty  spoon,  and  hungry  creditors  soon  grow  tired 
of  that  game.  Promises  don't  fill  the  belly. 
Promising  men  are  not  great  favorites  if  they  are 
not  performing  men.  When  such  a  fellow  is  called 
a  liar  he  thinks  he  is  hardly  done  by  ;  and  yet  he 
is  so,  as  sure  as  eggs  are  eggs,  and  there's  no 
denying  it,  as  the  boy  said  when  the  gardener 
caught  him  up  the  cherry  tree. 


212      LIFE  A  VD  WORK  OF  REV  C.  11  SPURGEON. 


\    HANDSAW    IS    A    GOOD    THING,    BUT 
NOT  TO    SHAVE  WITH. 

Our  friend  will  cut  more  than  he  will  eat,  and 
shave  off  something  more  than  hair,  and  then  he  will 
blame  the  saw.      His  brains  don't  lie  in  his  beard, 


nor  yet  in  the  skull  above  it,  or  he  would  see  that 
his  saw  will  only  make  sores.  There's  sense  in 
choosing  your  tools,  for  a  pig's  tail  will  never 
make  a  good  arrow,  nor  will  his  ear  make  a  silk 
purse.     You   can't  catch  rabbits  with  drums,  nor 


JOHN-  PLOUGHMAN'S  PICTURES.  313 

pigeons  with  plums.      A  good  thing  is  not  good  out 

of  its  place.     It  is   much  the  same  with  lads  and 

girls;  you  can't  put  all  boys  to  one  trade,  nor  send 

all  girls  to  the  same  service.      One  chap  will  make 

a    London    clerk,   and    another   will    do    better   to 

plough   and    sow   and    reap    and    mow    and    be    a 

farmer's   boy.      It's  no  use    forcing   them;    a  snail 

will  never  run  a  race,  nor  a  mouse  drive  a  wagon. 

"Send  a  boy  to  the  well  against  his  will, 
The  pitcher  will  break  and  the  water  spill." 

With  unwilling  hounds  it  is  hard  to  hunt  hares. 
To  go  against  nature  and  inclination  is  to  row 
against  wind  and  tide.  They  say  you  may  praise 
a  fool  till  you  make  him  useful:  I  don't  know  so 
much  about  that,  but  I  do  know  that  if  I  get  a  bad 
knife  I  generally  cut  my  finger,  and  a  blunt  axe  is 
more  trouble  than  profit.  No,  let  me  shave  with  a 
razor  if  I  shave  at  all,  and  do  my  work  with  the 
best  tools  I  can  get. 

Never  set  a  man  to  work  he  is  not  lit  for,  for  he 
will  never  do  it  well.  They  say  that  if  pigs  fly 
they  always  go  with  their  tails  forward,  and  awk- 
ward workmen  are  much  the  same.  Nobody 
expects  cows  to  catch  crows,  or  hens  to  wear  hats. 
There's  reason  in  roasting  eggs,  and  there  should 
be  reason  in  choosing  servants, 


314      LIFE  AXD  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  H.  SPURGEON. 


HUNCHBACK  SEES  NOT  HIS  OWN  HUMP, 
BUT  HE  SEES  HIS  NEIGHBOR'S. 

He  points  at  the  man  in  front  of  him,  but  he  is  a 
o'ood  deal  more  of  a  gfuy  himself.  He  should  not 
laugh   at  the    crooked   until  he  is  straight  himself, 


and  not  then.  I  hate  to  hear  a  raven  croak  at  a 
crow  for  being  black.  A  blind  man  should  not 
blame  his  brother  for  squinting,  and  he  who  has 
lost  his  lees  should   not  sneer   at  the  lame.      Yet  so 


JOHN  PLOUGHMAN'S  PICTURES.  315 

it  is,  the  rottenest  bough  cracks  first,  and  he  who 
should  be  the  last  to  speak  is  the  first  to  rail.  Be- 
spattered hogs  bespatter  others,  and  he  who  is  full 
of  fault  finds  fault.  They  are  most  apt  to  speak 
ill  of  others  who  do  most  ill  themselves. 

"We're  very  keen  our  neigbor's  hump  to  see, 
We're  blind  to  that  upon  our  back  alone; 
E'en  though  the  lump  far  greater  be, 
It  still  remains  to  us  unknown." 

It    does    us   much    hurt  to    judge    our    neighbors, 

because  it  flatters  our  conceit,  and  our  pride  grows 

quite    fast    enough   without    feeding.     We    accuse 

others  to  excuse  ourselves.     We  are  such  fools  as 

to   dream  that  we   are    better   because   others   are 

worse,    and    we    talk    as     if    we    could     get    up 

by  pulling    others    down.     What   is    the    good    of 

spying  holes  in  people's  coats  when  we  can't  mend 

them?     Talk  of  my  debts  if  you  mean  to  pay  them; 

if  not,  keep  your  red  rag  behind  your  ivory  ridge. 

A  friend's  faults  should  not  be  advertised,  and  even 

a   stranger's   should    not   be    published.     He   who 

brays    at   an   ass   is   an   ass    himself,  and    he  who 

makes  a  fool  of  another  is  a  fool  himself.      Don't 

get  into  the  habit  of  laughing  at  people,  for  the  old 

saying    is,  "Hanging's  stretching    and    mocking's 

catching." 

Some  must  have  their  joke  whoever  they  poke  ; 
For  the  sake  of  fun  mischief  is  done, 
And  to  air  their  wit  full  many  they  hit. 


3i6      LIFE  AND  WORK'  OF  REV.  C.  //.  SPURGEON. 

DRUNKARDS,    READ    THIS 


EXPELS    REASON, 

DISTEMPERS    THE    BODY, 

DIMINISHES  STRENGTH, 

INFLAMES    THE    BLOOD, 

f  INTERNAL  1 

!  EXTERNAL  | 
CAUSES-,     ETERNAL    j- WOUNDS; 

[.INCURABLE  J 

is 

A  WITCH   TO   THE   SENSES, 

A    DEMON   TO    THE    SOUL, 

A  THIEF  TO  THE  PURSE, 

A  GUIDE  TO  BEGGARY,  LECHERY  AND  VILLIANY 

IT    IS 

THE  WIFE'S  WOE  and 
THE    CHILDREN'S    SORROW. 

MAKES    A    MAN- 
WALLOW  WORSE   THAN   A   BEAST   and 
ACT   LIKE  A   FOOL. 


HE   IS 

A    SELF-MURDERER 
WHO   DRINKS   TO   ANOTHER'S   GOOD   HEALTH 

AND 

ROBS   HIMSELF   OF    HIS   OWN. 


JOHN  PLOUGHMAN'S   PICTURES. 


3'  7 


HE    HAS    A    HOLE     UNDER     HIS     NOSE, 
AND  HIS  MONEY  RUNS  INTO  IT. 

This  is  the  man  who  is  always  dry,  because  he 
takes  so  much  heavy  wet.  He  is  a  loose  fellow 
who  is  fond  of  getting  tight.     He  is  no  sooner  up 


than  his  nose  is  in  the  cup,  and  his  money  begins 
to  run  down  the  hole  which  is  just  under  his  nose. 
He  is  not  a  blacksmith,  but  he  has  a  spark  in  his 
throat,  and  all  the  publican's  barrels  can't  put  it 
out.      If  a  pot  of  beer  is  a  yard  of  land,  he  must 


3iS      LIFE  AND  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  H.  SPURGEOX. 

have    swallowed    more    acres    than    a    ploughman 

could  get  over  for  many  a  day,  and  still  he  goes  on 

swallowing  until  he  takes  to  wallowing.     All  goes 

down  Gutter  Lane.      Like  the  snipe,  he  lives  by 

suction.    If  you  ask  him  how  he  is,  he  says  he  would 

be  quite  right  if  he  could  moisten  his  mouth.     His 

purse  is  a  bottle,  his  bank  is  the  publican's  till  and 

his  casket  is  a  cask;  pewter  is  his  precious  metal, 

and  his  pearl*  is  a  mixture  of  gin  and  beer.     The 

dew  of  his  youth  comes  from  Ben  Nevis,  and  the 

comfort  of  his  soul  is  cordial  gin.     He  is  a  walking 

barrel,    a   living    drain-pipe,    a    moving    swill-tub. 

They  say  "loath  to  drink  and  loath  to  leave  off," 

but  he  never  needs  persuading  to  begin,  and  as  to 

ending — that  is  out  of  the  question  while  he  can 

borrow    twopence.      This    is    the    gentleman    who 

sings: 

He  that  buys  land  buys  many  stones, 
He  that  buys  meat  buys  many  bones, 
He  that  buys  eggs  buys  many  shells, 
He  that  buys  good  ale  buys  nothing  else. 

He  will   never  be   hanged   for   leaving    his   drink 

behind    him.      He    drinks    in    season    and    out   of 

season :     in    summer   because    he    is    hot,    and    in 

winter  because  he  is  cold. 

*Purl. 


JOHN  PL  ( )  I  7///.J/.  /  X'S    PICTURES. 


3'9 


SCANT  FEEDING  OF  MAN  OR  HORSE 
IS  SMALL  PROFIT  AND   SURE  LOSS. 

What  is  saved  out  of  food  of  cattle  is  a  dead 
loss,  for  a  horse  can't  work  if  he  is  not  fed.  If  an 
animal  won't  pay  for  keeping   he   won't   pay  for 


starving.  Even  the  land  yields  little  if  not  nour- 
ished, and  it  is  just  the  same  with  the  poor  beast. 
You  might  as  well  try  to  run  a  steam  engine  with- 
out coals,  or  drive  a  water  mill  without  water,  as 
a    horse  without   putting    corn  into    him.      Thomas 


320      LIFE  AND  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  H.  SPURGEON. 

Tusser,  who  wrote   a  book   upon  "Husbandry "in 

the  olden  time,  said, 

"Who  starveth  his  cattle,  and  wearieth  them  out 
By  carting  and  ploughing,  his  gain  I  much*doubt ; 
But  he  that  in  labor  doth  use  them  aright 
Has  gain  to  his  comfort  and  cattle  in  plight. 

Poor  dumb  animals  cannot  speak  for  themselves, 

and  therefore  every  one  who  has  his  speech  should 

plead  for  them.     To  keep  them  short  of  victuals  is 

a  crying  shame.     The  one  in  our  picture  seems  to 

be  thoroughly  broken  in:  look  at  his  knees!     His 

owner  ought  to  be  flogged  at  the  cart  tail.     I  hate 

cruelty,  and    above    all    things   the   cruelty  which 

starves  the  laboring  beast. 

A  right  good  man  is  good  to  all, 
And  stints  not  stable,  rack  or  stall ; 
Not  only  cares  for  horse  and  hog, 
But  kindly  thinks  of  cat  and  dog. 

Is  not  a  man  better  than  a  beast?     Then,  depend 

upon   it,  what  is  good   for  the   ploughing   horse   is 

good  for  the  ploughing  boy.     A  bellyful  of  plain 

food  is   a  wonderful  help  to  a  laboring  man.     A 

starving  workman  is  a  dear  servant.      If  you  don't 

pay  your  men,  they  pay  themselves,  or  else  they 

shirk  their  work.     He  who  labors  well  should  be 

fed  well,  especially  a  ploughman. 

"Let  such  have  enow 
That  follow  the  plough." 


JOI/X  PLOUGHMAN'S  PICTURES. 


A  LOOKING-GLASS   IS  OF  NO  USE  TO  A 

BLIND  MAN. 

He  who  will  not  see  is  much  the  same  as  if  he 
had  no  eyes;  indeed,  in  some  things,  the  man 
without  eyes  has  the   advantage,  for  he  is  in  the 


dark  and  knows  it.  A  lantern  is  of  no  use  to  a  bat, 
and  good  teaching  is  lost  on  the  man  who  will  not 
learn.  Reason  is  folly  with  the  unreasonable. 
One  man  can  lead  a  horse  to  the  water,  but  a  hun- 
dred cannot  make  him  drink:   it  is  easy  work  to 


322      LIFE  AND  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  H.  SPURGEON. 

tell  a  man  the  truth,  but  if  he  will  not  be  convinced 
your  labor  is  lost.  We  pity  the  poor  blind,  we 
cannot  do  so  much  as  that  for  those  who  shut  their 
eyes  against  the  light. 

A  man  who  is  blind  to  his  own  faults  is  blind  to 
his  own  interests.  He  who  thinks  that  he  never 
was  a  fool  is  a  fool  now.  He  who  never  owns  that 
he  is  wrong  will  never  get  right.  He'll  mend,  as 
the  saying  is,  when  he  grows  better,  like  sour  beer 
in  summer.  How  can  a  man  take  the  smuts  off 
his  face,  if  he  will  not  look  in  the  glass,  nor 
believe  that  they  are  there  when  he  is  told  of  them? 

Prejudice  shuts  up  many  eyes  in  total  darkness. 
The  man  knows  already:  he  is  positive  and  can 
swear  to  it,  and  it's  no  use  your  arguing.  He  has 
made  up  his  mind,  and  it  did  not  take  him  long,  for 
there's  very  little  of  it,  but  when  he  has  said  a  thing 
he  sticks  to  it  like  cobbler's  wax.  He  is  wiser  than 
seven  men  that  can  render  a  reason.  He  is  as 
positive  as  if  he  had  been  on  the  other  side  the 
curtain  and  looked  into  the  back  yard  of  the  uni- 
verse. He  talks  as  if  he  carried  all  knowledge  in 
his  waiscoat  pocket,  like  a  peppermint  lozenge. 
Those  who  like  may  try  to  teach  him,  but  I  don't 
care  to  hold  up  a  mirror  to  a  mole. 


JOHX  PLOUGHMAX'S  PICTURES. 


3^ 


DON'T    CUT    OFF  YOUR    NOSE   TO  SPITE 
YOUR    FACE. 

Anger  is  a  short  madness.  The  less  we  do 
when  we  go  mad  the  better  for  everybody,  and  the 
less  we  go  mad  the  better  for  ourselves.     He  is  far 


gone  who  hurts  himself  to  wreak  his  vengeance  on 
others.  The  old  saying  is,  "Don't  cut  off  your 
head  because  it  aches,"  and  another  says,  "Set 
not  your  house  on  fire  to  spite  th'^  moon."  If 
things   go   awry,   it  is   a   poor  way  of    mending  to 


324      LIFE  AND  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  H.  SPURGEON. 

make  them  worse,  as  the  man  did  who  took  to 
drinking  because  he  could  not  marry  the  girl  he 
liked.  He  must  be  a  fool  who  cuts  off  his  nose  to 
^pite  his  face,  and  yet  this  is  what  Dick  did  when 
he  had  vexed  his  old  master,  and  because  he  was 
chid  must  needs  give  up  his  place,  throw  himself 
out  of  work,  and  starve  his  wife  and  family.  Jane 
had  been  idle,  and  she  knew  it,  but  sooner  than  let 
her  mistress  speak  to  her,  she  gave  warning,  and 
lost  as  good  a  service  as  a  maid  could  wish  for. 
Old  Griggs  was  wrong,  and  could  not  deny  it,  and 
yet  because  the  parson's  sermon  fitted  him  rather 
close,  he  took  the  sulks,  and  vowed  he  would  never 
hear  the  good  man  again.  It  was  his  own  loss, 
but  he  wouldn't  listen  to  reason,  but  was  as  wilful 
as  a  pig. 

Do  nothing  when  you  are  out  of  temper,  and 
then  you  will  have  the  less  to  undo.  Let  a  hastv 
man's  passion  be  a  warning  to  you;  if  he  scalds 
you,  take  heed  that  you  do  not  let  your  own  pot 
boil  over.  Many  a  man  has  given  himself  a  box 
•on  the  ear  in  his  blind  rage,  ay,  and  ended  his 
own  life  out  of  spite.  He  who  cannot  curb  his 
temper  carries  gunpowder  in  his  bosom,  and  he  is 
neither  safe  for  himself  nor  his  neighbors.  When 
passion  comes  in  at  the  door,  what  little  sense  there 
is  indoors  flies  out  at  the  window. 


JOHN  P  LOU  Gil  MAX'S  PICTURES. 


325 


NEVER  STOP  THE  PLOUGH  TO  CATCH 
A  MOUSE. 

There's  not  much  profit  in  this  game.  Think 
of  a  man  and  a  boy  and  four  horses  all  standing 
still   for  the   sake   of  a   mouse !     What  would  old 


•^ 


K^/* 


*SJJ/    i 


friend    Tusser    say    to    that?     I    think    he    would 

rhyme  in  this  fashion : 

A  ploughman  deserveth  a  cut  of  the  whip 
If  for  idle  pretence  he  let  the  hours  slip. 

Heaps   of    people   act  like  the  man  in  our  picture. 

They  have  a  great  work  in  hand  which  wants  all 


326      LIFE  AND  WORK'  OF  PEV.  C.  H.  SPURGEON. 

their  wits,  and  they  leave  k  to  squabble  over  some 

pretty  nothing,  not  worth  a  fig,     Old  master  Tom 

would  say  to  them, 

No  more  tittle  tattle,  go  on  with  your  cattle. 

He  could  not  bear  for  a  farmer  to  let  his  horses  out 

for  carting  even,  because  it  took  their  work  away 

from  the  farm,  and  so  I   am  sure  he  would  be  in  a 

great  stew  if  he  saw  farmers  wasting  their  time  at 

matches  and  hunts  and  the  like.     He  says: 

"Who  slacketh  his  tillage  a  carter  to  be, 
For  groat  got  abroad,  at  home  shall  lose  three ; 
For  sure  by  so  doing  he  brings  outof  heart, 
Both  land  for  the  corn  and  horse  for  the  cart." 

The  main  chance  must  be  minded,  and  the  little 
things  must  be  borne  svith.  Nobody  would  burn 
his  house  down  to  kill  the  black  beetles,  and  it 
would  never  answer  to  kill  the  bullocks  to  feed  the 
cats.  If  our  baker  left  off  making  bread  for  a 
week  while  he  cracked  the  cockroaches,  what 
should  we  all  do  for  breakfast?  If  the  butcher 
sold  no  more  meat  till  he  had  killed  all  the  blow- 
flies, we  should  be  many  a  day  without  mutton. 
If  the  water  companies  never  gave  the  Londoners 
a  drink  till  they  had  fished  every  gudgeon  out  of 
the  Thames,  how  would  the  old  ladies  make  their 
tea?  There's  no  use  in  stopping  your  fishing 
because  of  the  seaweed,  nor  your  riding  because 
of  the  dust. 


JOHN  PLOUGHMAN'S   PICTURES.  327 

EVERY    MAN    SHOULD    SWEEP    BEFORE 
HIS    OWN   DOOR. 

He  is  a  wise  man  who  has  wit  enough  for  his 
own  affairs.  It  is  a  common  thing  for  people  to 
mind  Number  One,   but  not   so    common    to    see 


people  mend  it.  When  it  comes  to  spending 
money  on  labor  or  improvements,  they  think  that 
repairs  should  begin  at  Number  2,  and  Number  3, 
and  go  on  till  all  the  houses  up  to  Number  50  are 
touched    up   before    any  hint    should    be   given  to 


32,S      LIFE  AND  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  H.  SPURGEON. 

Number  One.  Now,  this  is  very  stupid,  for  if 
charity  should  begin  at  home,  certainly  reforma- 
tion should  begin  there  too.  It  is  a  waste  of  time 
to  go  far  away  to  make  a  clearance;  there's  noth- 
ing like  sweeping  the  snow  from  your  own  door. 
Let  every  dog  carry  his  own  tail.  Mind  your  own 
business,  and  mend  your  own  manners,  and  if 
every  man  does  the  same  all  will  be  minded  and 
mended,  as  the  old  song  says: 

"Should  every  man  defend  his  house, 

Then  all  would  be  defended  ; 
If  every  man  would  mend  a  man, 

Then  all  mankind  were  mended." 

A  man  who  does  not  look  well  to  his  own  concerns 
is  not  lit  to  be  trusted  with  other  people's.  Lots  of 
folks  are  so  busy  abroad  that  they  have  no  time  to 
look  at  home.  The)'  say  the  cobbler's  wife  goes 
barefoot,  and  the  baker's  child  gets  no  buns,  and 
the  sweep's  house  has  sooty  chimneys.  This 
comes  of  a  man  thinking  he  is  everybody  except 
himself.  All  the  wit  in  the  world  is  not  in  one  head, 
and  therefore  the  wisest  man  living  is  not  bound 
to  look  after  all  his  neighbors'  matters.  There 
are  wonderful  people  about,  whose  wisdom  would 
beat  Solomon  into  fits;  and  yet  they  have  not  sense 
enough  to  keep  their  own  kettle  from  boiling  over. 


JOHN  PLOUGHMAN'S  PICTURES. 


529 


YOU  MAY  BEND  THE  SAPLING,  BUT 
NOT  THE  TREE. 

Ladder  and  pole  and  cord  will  be  of  no  use  to 

straighten    the    bent    tree;     it    should    have    been 
looked  after  much  earlier.     Train  trees  when  they 


SS&^lp^ 


p  .•-^^^"*^^-~^SsT^r!I{4*! 


;iiiV;"' 


GfiaSfoSs* 


S*  \KyAAfo 


are  saplings,  and  young  lads  before  the  down 
comes  on  their  chins.  If  you  want  a  bullfinch  to 
pipe,  whistle  to  him  while  he  is  young;  he  will 
scarcely  catch  the  tune  after  he  has  learned  the 
wild  bird's  note.      Begin  early  to  teach,  for  children 


330       LIFE  A. YD  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  II.  SPURGEON. 

begin  early  to  sin.      Catch    them   young    and   you 

may  hope  to  keep  them. 

Ere  your  boy  has  reached  to  seven, 
Teach  him  well  the  way  to  heaven ; 
Better  still  the  work  will  thrive 
If  he  learns  before  he's  five. 

What  is  learned  young  is  learned  for  life.  What 
we  hear  at  the  first  we  remember  to  the  last.  The 
bent  twig  grows  up  a  crooked  tree.  Horse- 
breakers  say, 

"The  tricks  a  colt  getteth  at  his  first  backing, 
Will  whilst  he  continueth  never  be  lacking." 

WThen  a  boy  is  rebellious,  conquer  him,  and  do  it 

well  the  first  time,  that  there  may  be  no  need  to  do 

it  again.    A  child's  first  lesson  should  be  obedience, 

and    after  that   you  may  teach  it  what  you  please, 

vet  the  young  mind  must  not  be  laced  too  tight,  or 

you  may  hurt  its   growth   and  hinder  its   strength. 

They  say  a  daft  nurse   makes  a  wise  child,  but  I 

do  not  believe  it;  nobody  needs  so  much  common 

sense  as  a  mother  or  a  governess.     It  does  not  do 

to  be  always  thwarting ;   and  yet  remember,  if  you 

give  a  child  his  will  and  a  whelp  his  fill,  both  will 

surely  turn  out  ill.     A  child's  back  must  be  made 

to  bend,  but  it  must  not  be  broken.     He  must  be 

ruled,  but  not  with  a  rod  of  iron.     His  spirit  must 

be  conquered,  but  not  crushed. 


JOHN  PLOUGHMAN'S  PICTURES. 


33  J 


"GREAT    CRY   AND    LITTLE   WOOL,"  AS 

THE  MAN  SAID  WHO  CLIPPED 

THE    SOW. 

Now,  is  not  this  very  like  the  world  with  its 
notions  of  pleasure?  There  is  noise  enough: 
laughter  and  shouting  and  boasting ;    but  where  is 


the  comfort  which  can  warm  the  heart  and  give 
peace  to  the  spirit?  Generally  there's  plenty  of 
smoke  and  very  little  fire  in  what  is  called  pleasure. 
It  promises  a  nag  and  gives  an  egg.     Gayety  is  a 


332      LIFE  AND  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  II.  SPURGEON. 

sort  of  flash  in  the  pan,  a  fifth  of  November  squib, 
all  fizz  and  bang  and  done  for.  The  devil's  meal 
is  all  bran,  and  the  world's  wine  turns  to  vinegar. 
It  is  always  making  a  great  noise  over  nutshells. 
Thousands  have  had  to  weep  over  their  blunder  in 
looking  for  their  heaven  on  earth ;  but  thev  follow 
each  other  like  sheep  through  a  gap,  not  a  bit  the 
wiser  for  the  experience  of  generations.  It  seems 
that  every  man  must  have  a  clip  at  his  own  partic- 
ular pig,  and  cannot  be  made  to  believe  that  like 
all  the  rest  it  will  vield  him  nothing  but  bristles. 
Men  are  not  all  of  one  mind  as  to  what  is  best  for 
them ;  thev  no  more  agree  than  the  clocks  in  our 
village,  but  thev  all  hang  together  in  following 
after  vanity,  for  to  the  core  of  their  hearts  they  are 
vain.  One  shears  the  publican's  hog,  which  is  so  fond 
of  the  swill-tub,  and  he  reckons  upon  bringing 
home  a  wonderful  lot  of  wool  ;  but  everybody 
knows  that  he  who  goes  to  the  "Woolpack"  for 
wool  will  come  home  shorn:  the  "Blue  Boar"  is  an 
uncommonly  ugly  animal  to  shear,  and  so  is  the 
"Red  Lion."  Better  shear  off  as  fast  as  you  can; 
it  will  be  sheer  folly  to  stop.  You  may  loaf  about 
the  tap  of  the  "Halfmoon"  till  you  get  the  full  moon 
in  your  noddle,  and  need  a  keeper  :  it  is  the  place 
for  men  whose  wits  go  wool-gathering,  but  wool 
there  is  none. 


JOHX  PLOUGHMAN'S  PICTURES. 


A  MAN  MAY  LOVE  HIS  HOUSE,  THOUGH 
HE  RIDE  NOT  ON  THE  RIDGE. 

You  can  love  your  house  and  not  ride  on  the 
ridge;  there's  a  medium  in  everything.  You  can 
be  fond  of  your  wife  without  being  her  drudge,  and 


you  can  love  your  children  dearly,  and  yet  not 
give  them  their  own  way  in  everything  Some 
men  are  of  so  strange  a  kidney  that  they  set  no 
bounds  to  their  nonsense.  If  they  are  fond  of  roast 
beef  they  must  needs  suck  the  spit;    they  cannot 


334      LIFE  J  XL)  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  LI.  SPURGEOX. 

rest  with   eating   the   pudding,   they  must  swallow 

the  bag.      If  they  dislike  a  thing,  the  very  smell  of 

it  sets   them   grumbling,   and   if    they  like   it  they 

must  have   it  everywhere  and   always,  for  nothing 

else  is  half  so  sweet.     When  they  do  go  in  for  eating 

rabbits,  they  have 

Rabbits  young  and  rabbits  old, 
Rabbits  hot  and  rabbits  cold, 
Rabbits  tender,  rabbits  tough  : 
Never  can  they  have  enough. 

Whatever  they  take  up  takes  them  up,  and  for  a 
season  they  cannot  seize  on  anything  else.  At 
election  times  the  barber  cannot  trim  his  customer's 
poll  because  of  the  polling,  and  the  draper  cannot 
serve  you  with  calico  because  he  is  canvassing. 
The  nation  would  go  to  the  dogs  altogether  if  the 
cat's-meat  man  did  not  secure  the  election  by  stick- 
ing his  mark  on  the  ballot  paper.  It  is  supposed 
that  the  globe  would  leave  off  turning  round  if  our 
Joe  Scroggs  did  not  go  down  to  the  "Dun  Cow," 
and  read  the  paper,  and  have  his  say  upon  politics, 
in  the  presence  of  the  House  of  Commons  assem- 
bled in  the  tap-room.  I  do  not  quite  think  so,  but 
I  know  this,  that  when  the  Whigs  and  the  Tories 
and  the  Radicals  are  about,  Scroggs  is  good  for 
nothing  all  day  long.  What  party  he  belongs  to  I 
don't  know,  but  I  believe  his  leading  principle  will 
be  seen  in  the  following  verse  : 

If  gentlemen  propose  a  glass, 

He  never  says  them  nay  ; 
For  he  always  thinks  it  right  to  drink 

While  other  people  pay. 


JOHX  PLOUGHMAN' $   PICTURES. 


335 


GREAT  DRINKERS  THINK  THEMSELVES 
GREAT   MEN. 

Wonderful  men  and  white  rats  are  not  so 
scarce  as  most  people  think.  Folks  may  talk  as 
they  like  about  Mr.  Gladstone,  Lord  Beaconsfield,    ♦ 


and  that  sharp  gentleman  Bismarck,  but  Jack,  and 
Tom,  and  Harry,  and  scores  more  that  I  know  of, 
could  manage  their  business  for  them  a  fine  sight 
better;  at  least,  they  think  so,  and  are  quite  ready 
to  try.      Great  men   are  as  plentiful    as   mice  in   an 


3;,6       LIFE  AND  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  //.  SPURGEOtf. 

old  wheat  stack  down  our  way.  Every  parish  has 
one  or  two  wonderful  men;  indeed,  most  public- 
houses  could  show  one  at  least,  and  generally  two; 
and  I  have  heard  that  on  Saturday  nights,  when 
our  "Blue  Dragon"  is  full,  there  mav  be  seen  as 
many  as  twenty  of  the  greatest  men  in  all  the  world 
in  the  tap-room,  all  making  themselves  greater  by 
the  help  of  pots  of  beer.  When  the  jug  has  been 
filled  and  emptied  a  good  many  times,  the  blacksmith 
feels  he  ought  to  be  prime  minister  ;  Styles,  the 
carter,  sees  the  way  to  take  off  the  taxes,  and  old 
Hobbs,  the  rat-catcher,  roars  out, 

"They're  all  a  pack  of  fools, 
And  good-for-nothing  tools  ; 
If  they'd  only  send  for  me, 
You'd  see  how  things  would  be." 

If  you  have  a  fancy  to  listen  to  these  great  men  when 
they  are  talking  you  need  not  go  into  the  bar,  for  3-011 
can  hear  them  outside  the  house;  they  generallv 
speak  four  or  live  at  a  time,  and  every  one  in  a 
Mitcham  whisper,  which  is  very  like  a  shout. 
What  a  fine  flow  of  words  they  have!  There's  no 
end  to  it,  and  it's  a  pity  there  was  ever  any  begin- 
ning, for  there's  generally  a  mix  up  of  foul  talk 
with  their  politics,  and  this  sets  them  all  roaring 
with  laughter.  A  few  evenings  in  such  company 
would  poison  the  mind  of  the  best  lad  in  the  parish. 


JOI-IX  PLOUGHMAN'S  PICTURES. 


TWO  DOGS   FIGHT  FOR  A   BONK,  AM)  A 
THIRD  RUNS  AWAY  WITH  IT. 

We  have  heard  of  the  two  men  who  quarrelled 
over  an  oyster,  and  called  in  a  judge  to  settle  tin- 
question  ;  he  ate  the  oysters  himself,  and  gave  them 

n 


Vim.,, ..„■,,-!,  .„   i^-TT-nr.TTTTTu-  ihtti, '\i¥j^  I  fifflfn     f       I       |    '  '.i  '  f  M  l|"  |  1,1   ; 


a  shell  each.  This  reminds  me  of  the  story  of  the 
cow  which  two  farmers  could  not  agree  about,  and 
so  the  lawyers  stepped  in  and  milked  the  cow  for 
them,  and  charged  them  for  their  trouble  in  drink- 
ing  the    milk.      Little   is    got  by  law,  but  much  is 


33S     LIFE  AND  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  //.  SPURGEON. 

lost  by  it.  A  suit  in  law  may  last  longer  than  any 
suit  a  tailor  can  make  you,  and  you  may  yourself 
be  worn  out  before  it  comes  to  an  end.  It  is  better 
far  to  make  matters  up  and  keep  out  of  court,  for 
if  you  are  caught  there  you  are  caught  in  the  bram- 
bles, and  won't  get  out  without  damage.  John 
Ploughman  feels  a  cold  sweat  at  the  thought  of 
getting  into  the  hands  of  lawyers.  He  does  not 
mind  going  to  Jericho,  but  he  dreads  the  gentlemen 
on  the  road,  for  they  seldom  leave  a  feather  upon 
any  goose  which  they  pick  up. 

However,  if  men  will  fight  they  must  not  blame 
the  lawyers;  if  law  were  cheaper  quarrelsome  peo- 
ple would  have  more  of  it,  and  quite  as  much 
would  be  spent  in  the  long  run.  Sometimes,  how- 
ever, we  get  dragged  into  court  willy  nilly,  and 
then  one  had  need  be  wise  as  a  serpent  and  harm- 
less as  a  dove.  Happy  is  he  who  finds  an  honest 
lawyer,  and  does  not  try  to  be  his  own  client.  A 
good  lawyer  always  tries  to  keep  people  out  of  law ; 
but  some  clients  are  like  moths  with  the  candle, 
they  must  and  will  burn  themselves.  He  who  is  so 
wise  that  he  cannot  be  taught  will  have  to  pay  for 
his  pride. 


JOHN   PLOUGHMAN'S  PICTURES. 


339 


STICK  TO  IT  AND  DO  IT. 

Set  a  stout  heart  to  a  stiff  hill,  and  the  wagon 
will  get  to  the  top  of  it.  There's  nothing  so  hard 
but  a  harder  thing  will  get  through  it;  a  strong  job 
can  be  managed  by  a  strong  resolution.     Have  at 


it  and  have  it.  Stick  to  it  and  succeed.  Till  a 
thing  is  done  men  wonder  that  you  think  it  can  be 
done,  and  when  you  have  done  it  thev  wonder  it 
was  never  done  before. 

In  my  picture  the  wagon  is  drawn  by  two  horses; 


34o      LIFE  AND  WORK'  OF  REV.  C.  H.  SPURGEON. 

but  I  would  have  every  man  who  wants  to  make 
his  way  in  life  pull  as  if  all  depended  on  himself. 
Very  little  is  done  right  when  it  is  left  to  other 
people.  The  more  hands  to  do  work  the  less  there 
is  done.  One  man  will  carry  two  pails  of  water  for 
himself;  two  men  will  only  carry  one  pail  between 
them,  and  three  will  come  home  with  never  a  drop 
at  all.  A  child  with  several  mothers  will  die  before 
it  runs  alone.  Know  your  business  and  give  your 
mind  to  it,  and  you  will  find  a  buttered  loaf  where 
a  sluggard  loses  his  last  crust. 

In  these  times  it's  no  use  being  a  farmer  if  you 
don't  mean  work.  The  davs  are  gone  by  for  gen- 
tlemen to  make  a  fortune  off  of  a  farm  bv  £>oino- 
out  shooting  half  their  time.  If  foreign  wheats 
keep  on  coming  in,  farmers  will  soon  leai"n  that 

"  He  who  by  the  plough  would  thrive, 
Himself  must  either  hold  or  drive." 

He  is  a  sorry  dog  who  wants  game  and  will  not 
hunt  for  it:  let  us  never  lie  down  in  idle  despair,  but 
follow  on  till  we  succeed. 

Rome  was  not  built  in  a  day,  nor  much  else, 
unless  it  be  a  dog  kennel.  Things  which  cost  no 
pains  are  slender  gains.  Where  there  has  been 
little  sweat  there  will  be  little  sweet.  Jonah's  gourd 
came  up  in  a  night,  but  then  it  perished  in  a  night. 


JOHN  PLOUGHHAN'S  PICTURES. 


34 ' 


AN  OLD  FOX  IS  SHY  OF  A  TRAP. 

The  old  fox  knows  the  trap  of  old.  You  don't 
catch  him  so  easily  as  you  would  a  cub.  He  looks 
sharp  at  the  sharp  teeth,  and  seems  to  say, 


"  Hollo,  my  old  chap, 
I  spy  out  your  trap. 
To-day,  will  you  fetch  me? 
Or  wait  till  you  catch  me?" 

The  cat  asked  the  mice  to   supper,  but  only  the 

young  ones  would  come  to  the  feast,  and  they  never 

went  home  again.    "  Will  you  walk  into  my  parlor?" 


342      LIFE  AND  WORK  Of  REV.  C  //.  SPURGEON. 

said  the  spider  to  the  fly,  and  the  silly   creature  did 
walk  in,  and  was  soon  dead  as  a  door-nail. 

What  a  many  traps  have  been  set  for  some  of  us. 
Man-traps  and  woman-traps;  traps  to  catch  us  bv 
the  eye,  by  the  ear,  by  the  throat,  and  by  the  nose; 
traps  for  the  head  and  traps  for  the  heart;  day 
traps,  and  night  traps,  and  traps  for  any  time  you 
like.  The  baits  are  of  all  sorts,  alive  and  dead, 
male  and  female,  common  and  particular.  We 
had  need  be  wiser  than  foxes,  or  we  shall  soon 
hear  the  snap  of  the  man-trap  and  feel  its  teeth. 

Beware  of  beginnings:  he  who  does  not  take 
the  first  wrong  step  will  not  take  the  second.  Be- 
ware of  drops,  for  the  fellows  who  drink  take  noth- 
ing but  a  "drop  of  beer,"  or  "a  drop  too  much." 
Drop  your  drop  of  grog.  Beware  of  him  who 
says,  "Is  it  not  a  little  one?"  Little  sins  are  the 
eggs  of  great  sorrows.  Beware  of  lips  smeared 
with  honey:  see  how  many  flies  are  caught  with 
sweets.  Beware  of  evil  questions  which  raise 
needless  doubts,  and  make  it  hard  for  a  man  to 
trust  his  Maker.  Beware  of  a  bad  rich  man  who 
is  very  liberal  to  you;  he  will  buy  you  first  and  sell 
you  afterward.  Beware  of  a  dressy  young  woman, 
without  a  mind  or  a  heart;  you  may  be  in  a  net  be- 
fore you  can  say  Jack  Robinson. 

"Pretty  fools  are  no  ways  rare: 
Wise  men  will  of  such  beware." 


JOHN  PLOUGHMAN'S  PICTURES. 


343 


A  BLACK  HEN  LAYS  A  WHITE   EGG. 

The  egg  is  white  enough,  though  the  hen  is 
black  as  a  coal.  This  is  a  very  simple  thing,  but 
it  has  pleased  the  simple  mind  of  John  Ploughman, 
and  made  him   cheer  up  when   things   have  gone 


fi '^  -"^:^  J^V;  ^&Vvf>T^?^^C vj - 


^gfg 


;'-"rr'^^lfS^^^^^^rl 


hard  with  him.  Out  of  evil  comes  good,  through 
the  great  goodness  of  God.  From  threatening 
clouds  we  get  refreshing  showers ;  in  dark  mines 
men  find  bright  jewels,  and  so  from  our  worst 
troubles  come  our  best  blessings.     The  bitter  cold 


544      LIFE  AND  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  II.  SPURGEOX. 

sweetens  the  ground,  and  the  rough  winds  fasten 
the  roots  of  the  old  oaks.  God  sends  us  letters  of 
love  in  envelopes  with  black,  borders.  Many  a 
time  have  I  plucked  sweet  fruit  from  bramble 
hushes,  and  taken  lovety  roses  from  among  prickly 
thorns.  Trouble  is  to  believing  men  and  women 
like  the  sweetbrier  in  our  hedges,  and  where  it 
grows  there  is  a  delicious  smell  all  around,  if  the 
dew  do  but  fall  upon  it  from  above. 

Cheer  up,  mates,  all  will  come  right  in  the  end. 
The  darkest  night  will  turn  to  a  fair  morning  in 
due  time.  Only  let  us  trust  in  God,  and  keep  our 
heads  above  the  waves  of  fear.  When  our  hearts 
are  right  with  God,  everything  is  right.  Let  us 
look  for  the  silver  which  lines  every  cloud,  and 
when  we  do  not  see  it  let  us  believe  that  it  is  there. 
We  are  all  at  school,  and  our  great  Teacher  writes 
many  a  bright  lesson  on  the  blackboard  of  affliction. 
Scant  fare  teaches  us  to  live  on  heavenly  bread, 
sickness  bids  us  send  off  for  the  good  Physician, 
loss  of  friends  makes  Jesus  more  precious,  and 
even  the  sinking  of  our  spirits  brings  us  to  live 
more  entirely  upon  God.  All  things  are  working 
together  for  the  good  of  those  who  love  God,  and 
even  death  itself  will  bring  them  their  highest  gain. 
Thus  the  black  hen  lays  a  white  egg. 


JOHN  PLOUGHMAN'S  PICTURES. 


345 


HE   LOOKS    ONE   WAY   AND   PULLS 
ANOTHER. 

He  faces  the  shore,  but  he  is  pulling  for  the  ship. 
This  is  the  way  of  those  who  row  in  boats,  and  also 
of  a  great  many  who  never  trust  themselves  on  the 


water.  The  boatman  is  all  right,  but  the  hypocrite 
is  all  wrong,  whatever  rites  he  may  practice.  I 
cannot  endure  Mr.  Facing-both-wavs,  yet  he  has 
swarms  of  cousins. 

It  is  ill  to  be  a  saint  without   and   a   devil  within, 


346      LIFE  AND  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  II  SPURGEON. 

to  be  a  servant  of  Christ  before  the  world  in  order 
to  serve  the  ends  of  self  and  the  devil,  while  in- 
wardly the  heart  hates  all  good  things.  There  are 
good  and  bad  of  all  classes,  and  hypocrites  can  be 
found  among  ploughmen  as  well  as  among  parsons. 
It  used  to  be  so  in  the  olden  times,  for  I  remember 
an  old  verse  which  draws  out  just  such  a  character. 
The  man  says: 

"I'll  have  a  religion  all  of  my  own, 
Whether  Papist  or  Protestant  shall  not  be  known  ; 
And  if  it  proves  troublesome  I  will  have  none." 

In  our  Lord's  day  man}'  followed  him,  but  it  was 
only  for  the  loaves  and  fishes.  They  do  say  that 
some  in  our  parish  don't  go  quite  so  straight  as  the 
Jews  did,  for  they  go  to  the  church  for  the  loaves, 
and  then  go  over  to  the  Baptist  chapel  for  the 
fishes.  I  don't  want  to  judge,  but  I  certainly  do 
know  some  who,  if  they  do  not  care  much  for  faith, 
are  always  following  after  charity. 

Better  die  than  sell  your  soul  to  the  highest 
bidder.  Better  be  shut  up  in  the  workhouse  than 
fatten  upon  hypocrisy.  Whatever  else  we  barter, 
let  us  never  try  tor  turn  a  penny  by  religion,  for 
hypocrisy  is  the  meanest  vice  a  man  can  come  to. 


JOHN  PLOUGHMAN'S   PICTURES. 


347 


FOOLS  SET  STOOLS  FOR  WISE  MEN  TO 
STUMBLE  OVER. 

This  is  what  they  call  "a  lark."  Fools  set  stools 
for  wise  men  to  stumble  over.  To  ask  questions  is 
as  easy  as  kissing  your  hand;  to  answer  them  is  as 


hard  as  fattening  a  greyhound.  Any  fool  can 
throw  a  stone  into  a  well,  and  the  cleverest  man  in 
the  parish  may  never  be  able  to  get  it  up  again. 
Folly  grows  in  all  countries,  and  fools  are  all  the 
world  over,  as  he  said  who  shod  the  goose.      Silly 


348       LIFE  AND  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  //.  SPURGEON. 

people   are  pleased   with  their  own  nonsense,  and 

think  it  rare  fun  to  quiz  their  betters.     To  catch  a 

wise  man  tripping  is  as  good  as  bowling  a  fellow  out 

at  a  cricket  match. 

"Folly  is  wise  in  her  own  eyes, 
Therefore  she  tries  Wit  to  surprise." 

There  are  difficulties  in  everything  except  in 
eating  pancakes,  and  nobody  ought  to  be  expected 
to  untie  all  the  knots  in  a  net,  or  to  make  that 
straight  which  God  has  made  crooked.  He  is  the 
greatest  fool  of  all  who  pretends  to  explain  every- 
thing, and  says  he  will  not  believe  what  he  cannot 
understand.  There  are  bones  in  the  meat,  but  am 
I  to  go  hungry  till  I  can  eat  them?  Must  I  never 
enjoy  a  cherry  till  I  find  one  without  a  stone?  John 
Ploughman  is  not  of  that  mind.  He  is  under  no 
call  to  doubt,  for  he  is  not  a  doctor  :  when  people 
try  to  puzzle  him  he  tells  them  that  those  who  made 
the  lock  had  better  make  the  key,  and  those  who 
put  the  cow  in  the  pound  had  better  get  her  out. 
Then  they  get  cross,  and  John  only  says,  You  need 
not  be  crusty,  for  you  are  none  too  much  baked. 


JOHN  PLOUGHMAN'S    PICTURES. 


349 


A  MAN   IN  A  PASSION   RIDES   A  HORSE 

THAT  RUNS  AWAY  WITH  HIM. 

When  passion  has  run   away  with  a  man,  who 

knows  where  it  may  carry  him?     Once  let  a  rider 

lose  power  over  his  horse,   and  he  may  go  over 


hedge  and  ditch,  and  end  in  a  tumble  into  the  stone- 
quarry  and  a  broken  neck.  No  one  can  tell  in  cold 
blood  what  he  may  do  when  he  gets  angry ;  there- 
fore it  is  best  to  run  no  risks.  Those  who  feel 
their  temper  rising  will  be  wise  if  they  rise  them- 


350      LIFE  AXD  WORK  OF  RET.  C.  If.  SPURGEON. 

selves  and  walk  off  to  the  pump.  Let  them  fill 
their  mouths  with  cold  water,  hold  it  there  ten 
minutes  at  least,  and  then  go  indoors,  and  keep 
there  until  they  feel  as  cool  as  a  cucumber.  If  you 
carry  loose  gunpowder  in  your  pocket,  you  had 
better  not  go  where  sparks  are  flying  ;  and  if  you 
are  bothered  with  an  irritable  nature  you  should 
move  off  when  folks  begin  teasing  you.  Better 
keep  out  of  a  quarrel  than  fight  your  way  through  it. 

Nothing  is  improved  by  anger,  unless  it  be  the 
arch  of  a  cat's  back.  A  man  with  his  back  up  is 
spoiling  his  figure.  People  look  none  the  hand- 
somer for  being  red  in  the  face.  It  takes  a  great 
deal  out  of  a  man  to  get  into  a  towering  rage ;  it  is 
almost  as  unhealthy  as  having  a  fit,  and  time  has 
been  when  men  have  actually  choked  themselves 
with  passion,  and  died  on  the  spot.  Whatever 
wrong  I  suffer  it  cannot  do  me  half  so  much  hurt 
as  being  angry  about  it ;  for  passion  shortens  life 
and  poisons  peace. 

When  once  we  give  way  to  temper,  temper  will 
claim  a  right  of  way,  and  come  in  easier  every 
time.  He  that  will  be  in  a  pet  for  any  little  thing 
will  soon  be  out  at  elbows  about  nothing  at  all.  A 
thunder-storm  curdles  the  milk,  and  so  does  a 
passion  sour  the  heart  and  spoil  the  character. 


JOHN  PL  O  UGHMA  X'S   PICT  I  rPE  S. 


SCATTER   AND   INCREASE. 
People  will  not  believe  it,  and  yet  it  is  true  as 
the    gospel,  that  giving  leads    to    thriving.     John 
Bunyan  said  : 


"There  was  a  man,  and  some  did  count  him  mad, 
The  more  he  gave  away  the  more  he  had." 
He  tad  an  old  saying  to  back  him,  one  which  is  as 
old  as  the  hills,  and  as  good  as  gold  : 

"Give  and  spend 
And  God  will  send." 


352      LIFE  AND  WORK  OF  RET  C  II.  SPURGEON. 

If  a  man  cannot  pay  his  debts  he  must  not  think 
of  giving,  for  he  has  nothing  of  his  own,  and  it  is 
thieving  to  give  away  other  people's  property.  Be 
just  before  you  are  generous.  Don't  give  to  Peter 
what  is  due  to  Paul.  They  used  to  say  that 
"Give"  is  dead  and  "Restore"  is  buried,  but  I  do 
not  believe  it  any  more  than  I  do  another  saying, 
"there  are  only  two  honest  men,  one  is  dead  and 
the  other  is  not  born."  No,  no,  there  are  many 
free  hearts  yet  about,  and  John  Ploughman  knows 
a  goodish  few  of  them — people  who  don't  cry,  "Go 
next  door,"  but  who  say,  "Here's  a  little  help,  and 
we  wish  wre  could  make  it  ten  times  as  much." 
God  has.  often  a  great  share  in  a  small  house,  and 
many  a  little  man  has  a  large  heart. 

Now,  you  will  find  that  liberal  people  are  happy 
people,  and  get  more  enjoyment  out  of  what  they 
have  than  folks  of  a  churlish  mind.  Misers  never 
rest  till  they  are  put  to  bed  with  a  shovel ;  they 
often  get  so  wretched  they  would  hang  themselves 
only  they  grudge  the  expense  of  a  rope.  Generous 
souls  are  made  happy  by  the  happiness  of  others ; 
the  money  they  give  to  the  poor  buys  them  more 
pleasure  than  any  other  that  they  lay  out. 


JOHN  PLOUGHMAN'S   PICTURES.  353 

TIE   WOULD    PUT    HIS    FINGER    IN    THE 

PIE,    AND    SO    HE    BURNED 

HIS    NAIL    OFF. 

Some  men  must  have   a  linger  in  every  pie,  or, 

as  the  proverb  hath  it,  "their  oar  must  be  in  every 

man's    boat."      They  seem    to    have    no    business 


except  to  poke  their  noses  into  other  people's  busi- 
ness; they  ought  to  have  snub  noses,  for  they  are 
pretty  sure  to  be  snubbed.  Prying  and  spying, 
peddling   and  meddling,  these  folks  are  in  every- 


354      UFE  AND  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  If.  SPURGEOK. 

body's  way,  like  the  old  toll-gate.  They  come 
without  being  sent  for,  stop  without  being  asked, 
and  cannot  be  got  rid  of,  unless  you  take  them  by 
the  left  leg  and  throw  them  down  stairs,  and  if  you 
do  that  they  will  limp  up  again  and  hope  they  don't 
intrude.  No  one  pays  them,  and  yet  they  give 
advice  more  often  than  any  lawyer;  and  though  no 
one  ever  thanks  them,  yet  there  they  are,  peeping 
through  keyholes  and  listening  under  the  eaves. 
They  are  as  great  at  asking  questions  as  if  they 
wanted  you  to  say  the  catechism,  and  as  eager  to 
give  their  opinion  as  if  yon  had  gone  down  on  your 
knees  to  ask  it. 

These  folks  are  like  dogs  that  fetch  and  carry ; 
they  run  all  over  the  place  like  starlings  when  thev 
are  feeding  their  young.  They  make  much  ado, 
but  never  do  much,  unless  it  is  mischief,  and  at  this 
they  are  as  apt  as  jackdaws.  If  any  man  has  such 
people  for  his  acquaintances,  he  may  well  sav, 
"  .Save  me  from  my  friends." 

I  know  you  assistance  will  lend  ; 
When  I  want  it  I'll  speedily  send  ; 
You  need  not  be  making  such  stir, 
But  mind  your  own  business,  good  sir. 


JOHN  PLOUGHMAN'S  PICTURES.  355 

A  LEAKING  TAP  IS  A  GREAT  WASTER. 
A  leakinc  tap  is  a  great  waster.  Drop  by 
drop,  by  day  and  by  night,  the  liquor  runs  away, 
and  the  housewife  wonders  how  so  much  can  have 
gone.     This  is  the  fashion  in  which  many  laboring 


men  are  kept  poor.  They  don't  take  care  of  the 
pence,  and  so  they  have  no  pounds  to  put  in  the 
bank.  You  cannot  fill  the  rain-water  butt  if  you 
do  not  catch  the  drops.  A  sixpence  here  and  a 
shilling  there,   and   his   purse    is    empty  before    a 


356      LIFE  AND  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  II.  SPURGEON. 

man  dares  to  look  in  it.  What  with  waste  in  the 
kitchen,  waste  at  table  and  waste  at  the  public- 
house,  fools  and  their  money  soon  part  to  meet 
no  more.  If  the  wife  wastes  too,  there  are  two 
holes  in  the  barrel.  Sometimes  the  woman  dresses 
in  tawdry  finery  and  gets  in  debt  to  the  tally-man; 
and  it  is  still  worse  if  she  takes  to  the  bottle.  When 
the  goose  drinks  as  deep  as  the  gander,  pots  are 
soon  empty,  and  the  cupboard  is  bare.  Then  they 
talk  about  saving,  like  the  man  who  locked  the 
stable  door  after  his  horse  was  stolen.  They  will 
not  save  at  the  brim,  but  promise  themselves  and 
the  pigs  that  they  will  do  wonders  when  they  get 
near  the  bottom.      It  is  well  to  follow  the  good  old 

rule 

"Spend  so  as  ye  may 
Spend  for  many  a  day." 

He  who  eats  all  the  loaf  at  breakfast  may  whistle 

for  his  dinner  and  get  a  dish  of  empties.     If  we  do 

not  save  while  we  have  it  we  certainlv  shall  not 

save  after  all  is  gone.     There  is  no  grace  in  waste. 

Economy  is  a  duty  ;    extravagance  is  a  sin.     The 

old  Book  saith,   "  He  that  hasteth  to  be  rich  shall 

not  be   innocent,"  and,   depend  upon   it,   he    that 

hasteth    to    be    poor    is    in    much    the    same    box. 

Stretch  your  legs  according  to  the  length  of  your 

blanket,  and  never  spend  all  that  you  have  : 

"  Put  a  little  by  ; 
Things  may  go  awry." 


JOIIX  PLOUGHMAN'S    TALK.  357 


JOHN    PLOUGHMAN'S   TALK; 

OR, 

PLAIN  ADVICE  FOR  PLAIN  PEOPLE. 


TO   THE   IDLE. 

It  is  no  more  use  to  give  advice  to  the  idle  than 
to  pour  water  into  a  sieve ;  and  as  to  improving 
them,  one  might  as  well  try  to  fatten  a  greyhound. 
Yet,  as  the  Old  Book  tells  us  to  "cast  our  bread 
upon  the  waters,"  we  will  cast  a  hard  crust  or  two 
upon  these  stagnant  ponds ;  for  there  will  be  this 
comfort  about  it,  if  lazy  fellows  grow  no  better,  wre 
shall  be  none  the  worse  for  having  warned  them ; 
for  when  we  sow  good  sense  the  basket  gets  none 
the  emptier.  We  have  a  stiff  bit  of  soil  to  plough 
when  we  chide  with  sluggards,  and  the  crop  will 
be  of  the  smallest;  but  if  none  but  good  land  were 
farmed,  ploughmen  would  be  out  of  work,  so  we'll 
put  the  plough  into  the  furrow.  Idle  men  are 
common  enough,  and  grow  without  planting ;  but  the 
quantity  of  wit  among  seven  acres  of  them  would 
never  pay  for  raking ;    nothing  is  needed  to  prove 


35S     LIFE  AXD  WORK  OF  REV,  C.  II.  SPURGEON. 

this  but  their  name  and  their  character;  if  they 
were  not  fools  they  would  not  be  idlers ;  and  though 
Solomon  says,  "The  sluggard  is  wiser  in  his  own 
conceit  than  seven  men  that  can  render  a  reason,'' 
yet  in  the  eyes  of  every  one  else  his  folly  is  as 
plain  as  the  sun  in  the  sky.  If  I  hit  hard  while 
speaking  to  them,  it  is  because  I  know  they  can 
bear  it;  for  if  I  had  them  down  on  the  floor  of  the 
old  barn,  I  might  thresh  many  a  day  before  I  could 
get  them  out  of  the  straw,  and  even  the  steam 
thresher  could  not  do  it :  it  would  kill  them  first ; 
for  laziness  is  in  some  people's  bones,  and  will  show 
itself  in  their  idle  flesh,  do  what  you  will  with  them. 

ON  RELIGIOUS    GRUMBLERS. 

When  a  man  has  a  particularly  empty  head,  he 
generally  sets  up  for  a  great  judge,  especially  in 
religion.  None  so  wise  as  the  man  who  knows 
nothing.  His  ignorance  is  the  mother  of  his  impu- 
dence and  the  nurse  of  his  obstinacy;  and  though 
he  does  not  know  B  from  a  bull's  foot,  he  settles 
matters  as  if  all  wisdom  were  in  his  fingers'  ends — 
the  Pope  himself  is  not  more  infallible.  Hear  him 
talk  after  he  has  been  at  meeting  and  heard  a 
sermon,  and  you  will  know  how  to  pull  a  good  man 
to    pieces,    if    you    never   knew  before.     He    sees 


JOHN  PLOUGHMAN'S   TALK.  359 

faults  where  there  are  none,  and  if  there  be  a  few 
things  amiss,  he  makes  every  mouse  into  an  elephant. 
Although  you  might  put  all  his  wit  into  an  egg-shell, 
he  weighs  the  sermon  in  the  balances  of  his  conceit, 
with  all  the  airs  of  a  bred-and-born  Solomon,  and 
if  it  be  up  to  his  standard,  he  lays  on  his  praise  with 
a  trowel ;  but  if  it  be  not  to  his  taste,  he  growls  and 
barks  and  snaps  at  it  like  a  dog  at  a  hedgehog. 
Wise  men  in  this  world  are  like  trees  in  a  hedge, 
there  is  only  here  and  there  one;  and  when  these 
rare  men  talk  together  upon  a  discourse,  it  is  good 
for  the  ears  to  hear  them ;  but  the  bragging  wise- 
acres I  am  speaking  of  are  vainly  puffed  up  by 
their  fleshly  minds,  and  their  quibbling  is  as  sense- 
less as  the  cackle  of  geese  on  a  common.  Nothing 
comes  out  of  a  sack  but  what  was  in  it,  and  as 
their  bag  is  empty,  they  shake  nothing  but  wind  out 
of  it.  It  is  very  likely  that  neither  ministers  nor 
their  sermons  are  perfect  —  the  best  garden  may 
have  a  few  weeds  in  it,  the  cleanest  corn  may  have 
some  chaff — but  cavillers  cavil  at  anything  or  noth- 
ing, and  find  fault  for  the  sake  of  showing  off  their 
deep  knowledge;  sooner  than  let  their  tongues  have 
a  holiday,  they  would  complain  that  the  grass  is  not 
a  nice  shade  of  blue,  and  say  that  the  sky  would 
have  looked  neater  if  it  had  been  whitewashed. 


360      LIFE  AND  WORK  QF  REV.  C.  H.  SPURGEON. 

ON    THE    PREACHER'S    APPEARANCE. 

A  (;ood  horse  cannot  be  a  bad  color,  and  a  really 
good  preacher  can  wear  what  he  likes,  and  none 
will  care  much  about  it;  but  though  you  cannot 
know  wine  by  the  barrel,  a  good  appearance  is  a 
letter  of  recommendation  even  to  a  ploughman. 
Wise  men  neither  fall  into  love  nor  take  a  dislike  at 
first  sight,  but  still  the  first  impression  is  always  a 
great  thing  even  with  them  ;  and  as  to  those  weaker 
brethren  who  are  not  wise,  a  good  appearance  is 
half  the  battle.  What  is  a  good  appearance?  Well, 
it's  not  being  pompous  and  starchy,  and  making- 
one's  self  high  and  mighty  among  the  people,  for 
proud  looks  lose  hearts,  and  gentle  words  win  them. 
It's  not  wearing  fine  clothes  either,  for  foppish  dress 
usually  means  a  foul  house  within,  and  the  doorstep 
without  fresh  whitened;  such  dressing  tells  the 
world  that  the  outside  is  the  best  part  of  the  puppet. 
When  a  man  is  as  proud  as  a  peacock,  all  strut 
and  show,  he  needs  converting  himself  before  he 
sets  up  to  preach  to  others.  The  preacher  who 
measures  himself  by  his  looking-glass  may  please  a 
few  silly  girls,  neither  God  nor  man  will  long  put 
up  with  him.  The  man  who  owes  his  greatness  to 
his  tailor  will  find    that  needle  and  thread  cannot 


JOHN  PLOUGHMAN'S   TALK.  36 1 

long  hold  a  fool  in  a  pulpit.  A  gentleman  should 
have  more  in  his  pocket  than  on  his  back,  a  minister 
should  have  more  in  his  inner  man  than  on  his  outer 
man.  I  would  say,  if  I  might,  to  young  ministers, 
do  not  preach  in  gloves,  for  cats  in  mittens  catch  no 
mice;  don't  curl  and  oil  your  hair  like  dandies,  for 
nobody  cares  to  hear  a  peacock's  voice;  don't  have 
your  own  pretty  self  in  your  mind  at  all,  or  nobody 
else  will  mind  you.  Away  with  gold  rings,  and 
chains,  and  jewelry;  why  should  the  pulpit  become 
a  goldsmith's  shop?  Forever  away  with  surplices 
and  gowns,  and  all  those  nursery  doll-dresses — 
men  should  put  away  childish  things.  A  cross  on 
the  back  is  the  sign  of  a  devil  in  the  heart;  those 
who  do  as  Rome  does,  should  go  to  Rome  and 
show  their  colors. 

ON  GOOD  NATURE  AND  FIRMNESS. 

Do  not  be  all  sugar,  or  the  world  will  suck  you 
down  ;  but  do  not  be  all  vinegar,  or  the  world  will 
spit  you  out.  There  is  a  medium  in  all  things; 
only  blockheads  go  to  extremes.  We  need  not  be 
all  rock  or  all  sand,  all  iron  or  all  wax.  We  should 
neither  fawn  upon  everybody  like  silly  lapdogs,  nor 
fly  at  all  persons  like  surly  mastiffs.  Blacks  and 
whites  go  together  to  make  up  a  world,  and  hence 


362      LIFE  AND  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  H.  SPURGEON. 

on  the  point  of  temper  we  have  all  sorts  of  people 
to  deal  with.  Some  are  as  easy  as  an  old  shoe, 
but  they  are  hardly  ever  worth  more  than  the  other 
one  of  the  pair;  and  others  take  lire  as  fast  as 
tinder  at  the  smallest  offence,  and  are  as  dangerous 
as  gunpowder.  To  have  a  fellow  going  about  the 
farm  as  cross  with  everybody  as  a  bear  with  a  sore 
head,  with  a  temper  as  sour  as  verjuice  and  as 
sharp  as  a  razor,  looking  as  surly  as  a  butcher's 
dog,  is  a  great  nuisance,  and  yet  there  may  be 
some  good  points  about  the  man,  so  that  he  may 
be  a  man  for  all  that;  but  poor  soft  Tommy,  as 
green  as  grass  and  as  ready  to  bend  as  a  willow,  is 
nobodv's  money  and  everybody's  scorn.  A  man 
must  have  a  backbone,  or  how  is  he  to  hold  his 
head  up?  but  that  backbone  must  bend,  or  he  will 
knock  his  brow  against  the  beam. 

ON   GOSSIPS. 

"It  is  nothing — onlv  a  woman  drowning,"  is  a 
wicked  and  spitful  old  saying,  which,  like  the 
bridle,  came  out  of  the  common  notion  that  women 
do  a  world  of  mischief  with  their  tongues.  Is  it 
so  or  not  ?  John  Ploughman  will  leave  somebody 
else  to  answer,  for  he  owns  that  he  cannot  keep  a 
secret  himself,  and  likes  a  dish  of  chat  as  well   as 


JOHN  PLOUGHMAN'S    TALK.  363 

anybody;  only  John  does  not  care  for  cracking 
people's  characters,  and  hates  the  slander  which  is 
so  sweet  to  some  people's  teeth.  John  puts  the 
question  to  wiser  men  than  himself.  Are  women 
much  worse  than  men  in  this  business?  They  say 
that  silence  is  a  fine  jewel  for  a  woman,  but  it  is 
very  little  worn.  Is  it  so?  Is  it  true  that  woman 
only  conceales  what  she  does  not  know?  Are 
women's  tongues  like  lambs'  tails,  always  wag- 
ging? They  say  foxes  are  all  tail,  and  women  all 
tongue.  Is  this  false  or  not?  Was  that  old  prayer 
a  needful  one — "From  big  guns  and  women's 
tongues  deliver  us?"  John  has  a  right  good  and 
quiet  wife  of  his  own,  whose  voice  is  so  sweet  that 
he  cannot  hear  it  too  often,  and,  therefore,  he  is  not  a 
fair  judge;  but  he  is  half  afraid  that  some  other 
women  would  sooner  preach  than  pray,  and  would 
not  require  strong  tea  to  set  their  clappers  going; 
but  still,  what  is  sauce  for  the  goose  is  sauce  for 
the  gander,  and  some  men  are  quite  as  bad  blabs 
as  the  women. 

ON  SEIZING  OPPORTUNITIES. 

Some  men  never  are  awake  when  the  train  starts, 
but  crawl  into  the  station  just  in  time  to  see  that 
everybody  is  off,  and  then  sleepily  say,  "Dear  me, 


364      LIFE  AND  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  H.  SPURGEON. 

is  the  train  gone?  My  watch  must  have  stopped 
in  the  night!"  They  always  come  into  town  a  day 
after  the  fair,  and  open  their  wares  an  hour  after 
the  market  is  over.  They  make  their  hay  when  the 
sun  has  left  off  shining,  and  cut  their  corn  as  soon  as 
the  fine  weather  is  ended.  They  cry  "hold  hard!" 
after  the  shot  has  left  the  gun,  and  lock  the  stable- 
door  when  the  steed  is  stolen.  They  are  like  a 
cow's  tail,  always  behind;  they  take  time  by  the 
heels,  and  not  by  the  forelock,  if  indeed  they  ever 
take  him  at  all.  They  are  no  more  worth  than  an 
old  almanac;  their  time  has  gone  for  being  of  use; 
but,  unfortunately,  you  cannot  throw  them  away  as 
you  would  the  almanac,  for  they  are  like  the  cross 
old  lady  who  had  an  annuity  left  to  her,  and  meant 
to  take  out  the  full  value  of  it;  they  won't  die, 
though  they  are  of  no  use  alive.  Take-it-easy  and 
Live-long  are  first  cousins,  they  say,  and  the 
more's  the  pity.  If  they  are  immortal  till  their 
work  is  done,  they  will  not  die  in  a  hurry,  for  they 
have  not  even  begun  to  work  yet.  Shiftless  people 
generally  excuse  their  laziness  by  saying,  "they 
are  only  a  little  behind;"  but  a  little  too  late  is  much 
too  late,  and  a  miss  is  as  good  as  a  mile. 


JOHN  PLOUGHMAN'S    TALK'.  365 

ON  KEEPING  ONE'S  EYES  OPEN. 
To    o-et  through    this   world    a   man    must   look 
about  him,  and  even  sleep  with  one  eye  open;  for 
there    are    many  baits    for    fishes,    many   nets    for 
birds,  and  many  traps  for  men.     While  foxes  are 
so   common,  we   must  not  be   geese.     There  is  a 
very  great  difference  in  this  matter  among  people 
of  my  acquaintance;  many  see  more  with  one  eye 
than  others  with  two  and  many  have  fine  eyes  and 
cannot  see  a  jot.     All  heads  are  not  sense-boxes. 
Some  are  so  cunning  that  they  suspect  everybody, 
and  so  live  all  their  lives  in  miserable  fear  of  their 
neighbors ;  others  are  so  simple  that  every  knave 
takes  them  in,  and  makes  his  penny  of  them.    One 
man  tries  to  see  through  a  brick  wall,  and  hurts 
his  eyes ;  while  another  finds  out  a  hole  in  it,  and 
sees  as  far  as  he  pleases.     Some  work  at  the  mouth 
of  a  furnace,  and  are  never  scorched,  and  others 
burn  their  hands  at  the  fire  when  they  only  mean 
to  warm  them.     Now,  it  is  true  that  no  one  can 
o-ive  another  experience,  and  we  must  all  pick  up 
wit  for  ourselves ;  yet  I  shall  venture  to  give  some 
of  the  homely  cautions  which  have  served  my  turn, 
and  perhaps  they  may  be  of  use  to  others,  as  they 
have  been  to  me. 


366      LIFE  AND  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  H.  SPURGEON. 

DEBT. 

When  I  was  a  very  small  boy,  in  pinafores,  and 
went  to  a  woman's  school,  it  so  happeued  that  I 
wanted  a  stick  of  slate-pencil,  and  had  no  money 
to  buy  it  with.  I  was  afraid  of  being  scolded  for 
losing  my  pencils  so  often,  for  I  was  a  real  careless 
little  fellow,  and  so  did  not  dare  to  ask  at  home , 
what  then  was  John  to  do?  There  was  a  little 
shop  in  the  place,  where  nuts,  and  tops,  and  cakes, 
and  balls  were  sold  by  old  Mrs.  Dearson,  and 
sometimes  I  had  seen  bo}Ts  and  girls  get  trusted 
by  the  old  lady.  I  argued  with  myself  that  Christ- 
mas was  coming,  and  that  somebody  or  other 
would  be  sure  to  give  me  a  penny  then,  and  per- 
haps even  a  whole  silver  sixpence.  I  would,  there- 
fore, go  into  debt  for  a  stick  of  slate-pencil,  and 
be  sure  to  pay  at  Christmas.  I  did  not  feel  easy 
about  it,  but  still  I  screwed  my  courage  up,  and 
went  into  the  shop.  One  farthing  was  the  amount, 
and  as  I  had  never  owed  anything  before,  and  my 
credit  was  good,  the  pencil  was  handed  over  by 
the  kind  dame,  and  I  was  in  debt.  It  did  not  please 
me  much,  and  I  felt  as  if  I  had  done  wrong,  but  I 
little  knew  how  soon  I  should  smart  for  it.  How 
my  father  came  to  hear  of  this  little  stroke  of  busi- 
ness  I  never  knew,  but  some  little  bird  or  other 


JO//JV  PLOUGHMAN'S    TALK.  367 

whistled  it  to  him,  and  he  was  very  soon  down 
upon  me  in  right  earnest.  God  bless  him  for  it; 
he  was  a  sensible  man,  and  none  of  your  children 
spoilers;  he  did  not  intend  to  bring  up  his  children 
to  speculate  and  play  at  what  big  rogues  call 
financing,  and  therefore  he  knocked  my  getting 
into  debt  on  the  head  at  once,  and  no  mistake.  He 
gave  me  a  very  powerful  lecture  upon  getting  into 
debt,  and  how  like  it  was  to  stealing,  and  upon  the 
way  in  which  people  were  ruined  by  it;  and  how 
a  boy  who  would  owe  a  farthing  might  one  day 
owe  a  hundred  pounds,  and  get  into  prison,  and 
bring  his  family  into  disgrace.  It  was  a  lecture, 
indeed;  I  think  I  can  hear  it  now,  and  can  feel  my 
ears  tingling  at  the  recollection  of  it.  Then  I  was 
marched  off  to  the  shop  like  a  deserter  marched 
into  barracks,  crying  bitterly  all  down  the.  street, 
and  feeling  dreadfully  ashamed  because  I  thought 
everybody  knew  I  was  in  debt.  The  farthing  was 
paid,  amid  many  solemn  warnings,  and  the  poor 
debtor  was  set  free,  like  a  bird  let  out  of  a  cage. 
How  sweet  it  felt  to  be  out  of  debt. 

FAULTS. 

He   who  boasts   of   being   perfect  is   perfect  in 
folly.     I  have  been  a  good   deal  up  and   down-  in 


368      LIFE  AND  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  II.  SPURGEON. 

the  world,  and  I  never  did  either  see  a  perfect 
horse  or  a  perfect  man,  and  I  never  shall  till  two 
Sundays  come  together  You  cannot  get  white 
flour  out  of  a  coal  sack,  nor  perfection  out  of  human 
nature;  he  who  looks  for  it  had  better  look  for 
sugar  in  the  sea.  The  old  saying  is,  "Lifeless, 
faultless;"  of  dead  men  we  should  say  nothing  but 
good,  but  as  for  the  living,  they  are  all  tarred  more 
or  less  with  the  black  brush,  and  half  an  eye  can 
see  it.  Every  head  has  a  soft  place  in  it,  and  every 
heart  has  its  black  drop.  Every  rose  has  its 
prickles,  and  every  day  its  night.  Even  the  sun 
shows  spots,  and  the  skies  are  darkened  with 
clouds.  Nobody  is  so  wise  but  he  has  folly  enough 
to  stock  a  stall  at  Vanity  Fair.  Where  I  could  not 
see  the  fool's-cap,  I  have  nevertheless  heard  the  bells 
jingle.  As  there  is  no  sunshine  without  some 
shadows,  so  is  all  human  good  mixed  up  more  or 
less  of  evil;  even  poor-law  guardians  have  their 
little  failings,  and  parish  beadles  are  not  wholly  of 
heavenly  nature. 

THINGS  NOT  WORTH  TRYING. 

That  is  a  wise  old  saying,  "  Spend  not  all  you 
have;  believe  not  all  you  hear;  tell  not  all  you 
know,  and  do  not  all  you  can."    There  is  so  much 


JOHN  PLOUGHMAN'S    TALK.  369 

work  to  be  done  that  needs  our  hands,  that  it  is  a 
pity  to  waste  a  grain  of  strength.  When  the  game 
is  not  worth  the  candle,  drop  it  at  once.  It  is  wast- 
ing time  to  look  for  milk  in  a  gate-post,  or  blood  in 
a  turnip,  or  sense  in  a  fool.  Never  ask  a  covetous 
man  for  money  till  you  have  boiled  a  flint  soft. 
Don't  sue  a  debtor  who  has  not  a  penny  to  bless 
himself  with — you  will  only  be  throwing  good 
money  after  bad,  which  is  like  losing  your  ferret 
without  getting  the  rabbit.  Never  offer  a  looking- 
glass  to  a  blind  man ;  if  a  man  is  so  proud  that  he 
will  not  see  his  faults,  he  will  only  quarrel  with  you 
for  pointing  them  out  to  him.  It  is  of  no  use  to 
hold  a  lantern  to  a  mole,  or  to  talk  of  heaven  to  a 
man  who  cares  for  nothing  but  his  dirty  money. 
There  is  a  time  for  everything,  and  it  is  a  silly 
thing  to  preach  to  drunken  men ;  it  is  casting  pearls 
before  swine ;  get  them  sober,  and  then  talk  to 
them  soberly;  if  you  lecture  them  while  they  are 
drunk,  you  act  as  if  you  were  drunk  vourself. 

MEN  WHO  ARE  DOWN. 

No  man's  lot  is  fully  known  till  he  is  dead; 
change  of  fortune  is  the  lot  of  life.  He  who  rides 
in  the  carriage  may  yet  have  to  clean  it.  Sawyers 
change  places,  and  he  who  is  up  aloft  may  have 


370      LIFE  AND  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  If.  SPUR  GEO  AT. 

to  take  his  turn  in  the  pit.  The  thought  that  we 
may  ourselves  be  one  day  under  the  window, 
should  make  us  careful  when  we  are  throwing  out 
dirty  water.  With  what  measure  we  mete,  it  shall 
be  measured  to  us  again,  and  therefore  let  us  look 
well  to  our  dealings  with  the  unfortunate. 

Nothing  makes  me  more  sick  of  human  nature 
than  to  see  the  way  in  which  men  treat  others  when 
they  fall  down  the  ladder  of  fortune:  "Down 
with  him,"  thev  cry,  "he*  always  was  <jood  for 
nothing." 

"Down  among  the  dead  men,  down,  down,  down, 
Down  among  the  dead  men,  there  let  him  lie." 

Dog  won't  eat  dog,  but  men  will  eat  each  other 
up  like  canninals,  and  boast  of  it  too.  There  are 
thousands  in  this  world  who  fly  like  vultures  to 
feed  on  a  tradesman  or  a  merchant  as  soon  as  ever 
he  gets  into  trouble.  Where  the  carcass  is  thither 
will  the  eagles  be  gathered  together.  Instead  of 
a  little  help,  they  give  the  sinking  man  a  great 
deal  of  cruelty,  and  cry,  "Serves  him  right."  All 
the  world  will  beat  the  man  whom  fortune  buffets. 
If  providence  smites  him,  all  men's  whips  begin  to 
crack.  The  dog  is  drowning,  and  therefore  all 
his  friends  empty  their  buckets  over  him.  The 
tree  has  fallen,  and  everybody  runs  for  his  hatchet. 


JOHX  PLOUGHMAN'S    TALK.  371 

The  house  is  on  fire,  and  all  the  neighbors  warm 
themselves.  The  man  has  ill  luck,  therefore  his 
friends  give  him  ill  usage;  he  has  tumbled  into  the 
road,  and  they  drive  their  carts  over  him;  he  is 
down,  and  selfishness  cries,  "Let  him  be  kept 
down,  then  there  will  be  the  more  room  for  those 
who  are  up." 

SPENDING. 

To  earn  money  is  easy  compared  with  spending 
it  well;  anybody  may  dig  up  potatoes,  but  it  is  not 
one  woman  in  ten  that  can  cook  them.  Men  do 
not  become  rich  by  what  they  get,  but  by  what 
they  save.  Many  men  who  have  money  are  short 
of  wit  as  a  hog  is  of  wool ;  they  are  under  years 
of  discretion,  though  they  have  turned  forty,  and 
make  ducks  and  drakes  of  hundreds  as  boys  do  of 
stones.  What  their  fathers  got  with  rakes,  they 
throw  away  with  shovel.  After  the  miser  comes 
the  prodigal.  Often  men  say  of  the  spendthrift, 
his  own  father  was  no  man's  friend  but  his  own ; 
and  now  the  son  is  no  man's  enemy  but  his  own ; 
the  fact  is,  the  old  gentleman  went  to  hell  by  the 
lean  road,  and  his  son  has  made  up  his  mind  to  go 
there  by  the  fat. 


372      LIFE  AND  WORK'  OF  REV.  C.  II.  SPURGEON. 

HINTS  AS  TO  THRIVING. 

Hard  work  is  the  grand  secret  of  success. 
Nothing  but  rags  and  poverty  can  come  of  idle- 
ness. Elbow-grease  is  the  only  stuff  to  make  gold 
with.  No  sweat,  no  sweet.  He  who  would  have 
the  crow's  eggs  must  climb  the  tree.  Every  man 
must  build  up  his  own  fortune  nowadays.  Shirt- 
sleeves rolled  up  lead  on  to  best  broadcloth ;  and 
he  who  is  not  ashamed  of  the  apron  will  soon  be 
able  to  do  without  it.  "  Diligence  is  the  mother  of 
good  luck,"  as  poor  Richard  says ;  but  "Idleness 
is  the  devil's  bolster,"  as  John  Ploughman  says. 

Believe  in  traveling  on  step  by  step;  don't  expect 

to  be  rich  in  a  :ump: 

Great  greediness  to  reap 
Helps  not  the  money  heap. 

Slow  and  sure  is  better  than  fast  and  flimsy.  Per- 
severance, by  its  daily  gains,  enriches  a  man  far 
more  than  fits  and  starts  of  fortunate  speculation. 
Little  fishes  are  sweet.  Every  little  helps,  as  the 
sow  said  when  she  snapped  at  a  gnat.  Every  day 
a  thread  makes  a  skein  in  a  year.  Brick  by  brick 
houses  are  built.  We  should  creep  before  we 
walk,  walk  before  we  run,  and  run  before  we  ride. 
In  getting  rich,  the  more  haste  the  worse  speed. 
Haste  trips  up  its  own  heels.  Hasty  climbers  have 
sudden  falls. 


JOHN  PLOUGHMAN'S    TALK.  373 

It  is  bad  beginning  business  without  capital.  It 
is  hard  marketing  with  empty  pockets.  We  want 
a  nest-egg,  for  hens  will  lay  where  there  are  eggs 
already.  It  is  true  you  must  bake  with  the  flour 
you  have,  but  if  the  sack  is  empty  it  might  be 
quite  as  well  not  to  set  up  for  a  baker.  Making 
bricks  without  straw  is  easy  enough  compared  with 
making  money  when  you  have  none  to  start  with. 
You,  young  gentleman,  stay  a  journeyman  a  little 
longer,  till  you  have  saved  a  few  pounds ;  fly  when 
your  wings  have  got  feathers ;  but  if  you  try  it  too 
soon  you  will  be  like  the  young  rook  that  broke  its 
neck  through  trying  to  fly  before  it  was  fledged. 
Every  minnow  wants  to  be  a  whale,  but  it  is  pru- 
dent to  be  a  little  fish  while  you  have  but  little 
water;  when  your  pond  becomes  the  sea,  then 
swell  as  much  as  you  like.  Trading  without  capi- 
tal is  like  building  a  house  without  bricks,  making 
a  fire  without  sticks,  burning  candles  without  wicks ; 
it  leads  men  into  tricks,  and  lands  them  in  a  fix. 

Don't  give  up  a  small  business  till  you  see  that  a 

large  one  will  pay  you  better.      Even  crumbs  are 

bread. 

Better  a  poor  horse  than  an  empty  stall ; 
Better  half  a  loaf  than  none  at  all. 

Better  a  little  furniture  than  an  empty  house. 
In  these  hard  times,  he  who  can  sit  on  a  stone  and 


374      LIFE  AND  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  II.  SPURGEON. 

feed  himself  had  better  not  move.  From  bad  to 
worse  is  poor  improvement.  A  crust  is  hard  fare, 
but  none  at  all  is  harder.  Don't  jump  out  of  the 
frying-pan  into  the  fire.  Remember  man)'  men 
have  done  well  in  very  small  shops.  A  little  trade 
with  profit  is  better  than  a  great  concern  at  a  loss; 
a  small  fire  that  warms  you  is  better  than  a  large 
fire  that  burns  you.  A  great  deal  of  water  can  be 
got  from  a  small  pipe,  if  the  bucket  is  always 
there  to  catch  it.  Large  hares  may  be  caught  in 
small  woods.  A  sheep  may  get  fat  in  a  small 
meadow,  and  starve  in  a  great  desert.  He  who 
undertakes  too  much  succeeds  but  little.  Two 
shops  are  like  two  stools,  a  man  comes  to  the 
ground  between  them.  You  may  burst  a  bag  by 
trying  to  fill  it  too  full,  and  ruin  yourself  by  grasp- 
ing at  too  much. 

In  a  great  river  great  fish  are  found, 
But  take  good  heed  lest  you  be  drown'd. 

Make  as  few  changes  as  you  can;  trees  often 
transplanted  bear  little  fruit.  If  you  have  difficul- 
ties in  one  place,  you  will  have  them  in  another; 
if  you  move  because  it  is  damp  in  the  valley,  you 
may  find  it  cold  on  the  hill.  Where  will  the  ass 
go  that  he  will  not  have  to  work?  Where  can  a 
cow  live  and  not  get  milked?      Where  will  you  find 


JOHN  PLOUGHMAN'S    TALK.  375 

land  without  stones,  or  meat  without  bones? 
Everywhere  on  earth  men  must  eat  bread  in  the 
sweat  of  their  faces.  To  fly  from  trouble  men 
must  have  eagie  wings.  Alteration  is  not  always 
improvement,  as  the  pigeon  said  when  she  got  out 
of  the  net  and  into  the  pie.  There  is  a  proper 
time  for  changing,  and  then  mind  you  bestir  your- 
self, for  a  sitting  hen  gets  no  barley;  but  do  not  be 
forever  on  the  shift,  for  a  rolling  stone  gathers  no 
moss.  Stick-to-it  is  the  conqueror.  He  who  can 
wait  long  enough  will  win.  This,  that,  and  the 
other,  anything  and  everything,  all  put  together, 
make  nothing  in  the  end ;  but  on  one  horse  a  man 
rides  home  in  due  season.  In  one  place  the  seed 
grows,  in  one  nest  the  bird  hatches  its  eggs,  in  one 
oven  the  bread  bakes,  in  one  river  the  fish  lives. 

Do  not  be  above  your  business.  He  who  turns 
up  his  nose  at  his  work  quarrels  with  his  bread 
and  butter.  He  is  a  poor  smith  who  is  afraid  of 
his  own  sparks:  there's  some  discomfort  in  all 
trades  except  chimney-sweeping.  If  sailors  gave 
up  going  to  sea  because  of  the  wet,  if  bakers  left 
off  baking  because  it  is  hot  work,  if  plowmen 
would  not  plow  because  of  the  cold,  and  tailors 
would  not  make  our  clothes  for  fear  of  pricking 
their   fingers,    what    a    pass    we    should   come  to! 


376      LIFE  AND  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  H.  SPURGEON. 

Nonsense,  my  fine  fellow,  there's  no  shalne  about 
any  honest  calling;  don't  be  afraid  of  soiling  your 
hands,  there's  plenty  of  soap  to  be  had.  All 
trades  are  good  to  good  traders.  A  clever  man 
can  make  money  out  of  dirt.  Lucifer  matches 
pay  well,  if  you  sell  enough  of  them. 


ILLUSTRATIONS  AND  MEDITATIONS.  377 


ILLUSTRATIONS   AND    MEDITATIONS; 

Or,  Flowers  from  a  Puritan's  Garden. 


BIRD  TIED  BY  A  STRING. 

"A  bird  that  is  tied  by  a  string  seems  to  have  more  liberty 
than  a  bird  in  a  cage  ;  it  flutters  up  and  down,  and  yet  it  is 
held  fast." 

When  a  man  thinks  that  he  has  escaped  from 
the  bondage  of  sin  in  general,  and  yet  evidently 
remains  under  the  power  of  some  one  favored  lust, 
he  is  woefully  mistaken  in  his  judgment  as  to  his 
spiritual  freedom.  He  may  boast  that  he  is  out  of 
the  cage,  but  assuredly  the  string  is  on  his  leg. 
He  who  has  his  fetters  knocked  off,  all  but  one 
chain,  is  a  prisoner  still.  f'Let  not  any  iniquity 
have  dominion  over  me"  is  a  good  and  wise  prayer; 
for  one  pampered  sin  will  slay  the  soul  as  surely  as 
one  dose  of  poison  will  kill  the  body.  There  is  no 
need  for  a  traveller  to  be  bitten  by  a  score  of  deadly 
vipers,  the  tooth  of  one  cobra  is  quite  sufficient  to 
insure  his  destruction.  One  sin,  like  one  match, 
can  kindle  the  fires  of  hell  within  the  soul. 

The  practical  application  of  this  truth  should  be 
made  by  the   professor  who  is  a  slave  to  drink,  or 


378     LIFE  AND  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  H.  SPURGEON. 

to  covetousness,  or  to  passion.  How  can  you  be 
free  if  any  one  of  these  chains  still  holds  you  fast? 
We  have  met  with  professors  who  are  haughty,  and 
despise  others ;  how  can  these  be  the  Lord's  free 
men  while  pride  surrounds  them? 

THE   CRACKED    POT. 

"The  unsoundness  of  a  vessel  is  not  seen  when  it  is  empty; 
but  when  it  is  filled  with  water,  then  we  shall  see  whether  it 
will  leak  or  no." 

It  is  in  our  prosperity  that  we  are  tested.  Men 
are  not  fully  discovered  to  themselves  till  they  are 
tried  by  fullness  of  success.  Praise  finds  out  the 
crack  of  pride,  wealth  reveals  the  flaw  of  selfish- 
ness, and  learning  discovers  the  leak  of  unbelief. 
David's  besetting  sin  was  little  seen  in  the  tracks 
of  the  wild  goats,  but  it  became  conspicuous  upon 
the  terraces  of  his  palace.  Success  is  the  crucible 
of  character.  Hence  the  prosperity  which  some 
welcome  as  an  unmixed  favor  may  far  more  rightly 
be  regarded  as  an  intense  form  of  test.  O  Lord, 
preserve  us  when  we  are  full  as  much  as  when  we 
are  empty. 

MEADOWS    AND   MARSHES. 

"Meadows  may  be  occasionally  flooded,  but  the  marshes 
are  drowned  by  the  tide  at  every  return  thereof." 

There  is   all  this  difference  between  the  sins  of 

the  righteous  and  those  of  the  ungodly.     Surprised 


ILLUSTRATIONS  AND  MEDITATIONS.  379 

by  temptation,  true  saints  are  flooded  with  a  pass- 
ing outburst  of  sin ;  but  the  wicked  delight  in 
transgression  and  live  in  it  as  in  their  element. 
The  saint  in  his  errors  is  a  star  under  a  cloud,  but 
the  sinner  is  darkness  itself.  The  gracious  may 
fall  into  iniquity,  but  the  graceless  run  into  it, 
wallow  in  it,  and  again  and  again  return  to  it. 

THE  WEAK  STRONG,  AND  THE  STRONG 
WEAK. 

"  It  is  related  of  Laurence  Saunders,  the  martyr,  that  one 
day  in  the  country,  meeting  his  friend  Dr.  Pendleton,  an 
earnest  preacher  in  King  Edward's  reign,  they  debated  upon 
what  they  had  best  .do  in  the  dangerous  time  that  Mary's 
accession  had  brought  upon  them.  Saunders  confessed  that 
his  spirit  was  ready,  but  he  felt  the  flesh  was  at  present  too 
weak  for  much  suffering.  But  Pendleton  admonished  him, 
and  appeared  all  courage  and  forwardness  to  face  every 
peril.  They  both  came,  under  the  control  of  circumstances, 
to  London,  and  there,  when  danger  arose,  Pendleton  shrunk 
from  the  cross,  and  Saunders  resolutely  took  it  up." 

The    reader  has   probably   met  with    this    story 

before,  but  it  will  not  harm  him  to  learn  its  lesson 

again.     We   are   certainly  stronger  when  we  feel 

our  weakness  than  when  we  glory  in  our  strength. 

Our  pastoral  observation  over  a  very  large  church 

has  led  us  to  expect  to  see  terrible  failures  among 

those    who    carry  their    heads    high    among    their 

brethren.     Poor  timid  souls  who  are  afraid  to  put 

one  foot  before   another,  for  fear  they  should  go 


380      LIFE  AND  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  H.  SPURGEON. 

an  inch  astray,  go  on  from  year  to  }rear  in  lovely, 
bashful  holiness,  and  at  the  same  time  the  very 
professors  who  condemned  them,  and  distressed 
them  by  their  confident  pretensions,  fall  like  Luci- 
fer, never  to  hope  again. 

COVETOUSNESS  AS  A  SERVANT. 

'Covetousness  may  be  entertained  as  a  servant  where  it  is 
not  entertained  as  a  master — entertained  as  a  servant  to  pro- 
vide oil  and  fuel  to  make  other  sins  burn." 

Where  avarice  is  the  absolute  master,  the  man  is 
a  miser;  but  even  he  is  not  more  truly  miserable 
than  the  man  whose  gainings  only  furnish  oppor- 
tunity for  indulging  in  vice.  Such  persons  are 
greedy  that  they  may  become  guilty.  Their 
money  buys  them  the  means  of  their  own  destruc- 
tion, and  they  are  eager  after  it.  Winning  and 
saving  with  them  are  but  means  for  profligacy,  and 
therefore  they  think  themselves  fine,  liberal  fellows, 
and  dispise  the  penurious  habits  of  the  miser. 
Yet  in  what  respects  are  they  better  than  he? 
Their  example  is  certainly  far  more  injurious  to 
the  commonwealth,  and  their  motive  is  not  one 
whit  better.  Selfishness  is  the  mainspring  of  action 
in  each  case;  the  difference  lies  in  the  means 
selected  and  not  in  the  end  proposed.  Both  seek 
their  own  gratification,  the  one  by  damning  up  the 


ILLUSTRATIONS  AND  MEDITATIONS.  381 

river,  and  the  other  by  drowning  the  country  with 
its  floods.  Let  the  profligate  judge  for  himself, 
whether  he  is  one  grain  better  than  the  greediest 
skinflint  whom  he  so  much  ridicules. 

INFANTS  AND  SICK  FOLK. 

"Though  we  cannot  love  their  weaknesses,  yet  we  must 
love  the  weak,  and  bear  with  their  infirmities,  not  breaking 
the  bruised  reed.  Infants  must  not  be  turned  out  of  the 
family  because  they  cry,  and  are  unquiet  and  troublesome ; 
though  they  be  peevish  and  froward,  yet  we  must  bear  it 
with  gentleness  and  patience,  as  we  do  the  frowardness  of 
the  sick ;  if  they  revile  we  must  not  revile  again,  but  must 
seek  gently  to  restore  them,  notwithstanding  all  their 
censures." 

This  patience  is  far  too  rare.  We  do  not  make 
allowances  enough  for  our  fellows,  but  sweepingly 
condemn  those  whom  we  ought  to  cheer  with  our 
sympathy.  If  we  are  out  of  temper  ourselves,  we 
plead  the  weather,  or  a  headache,  or  our  natural 
temperament,  or  aggravating  circumstances;  we 
are  never  at  a  loss  for  an  excuse  for  ourselves, 
whv  should  not  the  same  ingenuity  be  used  by  our 
charity  in  inventing  apologies  and  extenuations  for 
others?  It  is  a  pity  to  carry  on  the  trade  of  apology- 
making  entirely  for  home  consumption;  let  us  sup- 
ply others.  True,  they  are  very  provoking,  but  if 
we  suffered  half  as  much  as  some  of  our  irritable 
friends   have   to  endure  we   should  be  even  more 


382      LIFE  AND  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  If.  SPURGEON. 

aggravating.  Think  in  many  cases  of  their  igno- 
rance, their  unfortunate  bringing  up,  their  poverty, 
their  depression  of  spirit,  and  their  home  surround- 
ings, and  pity  will  come  to  the  help  of  patience. 
We  are  tender  to  a  man  who  has  a  gouty  toe — 
cannot  we  extend  the  feeling  to  those  who  have  an 
irritable   soul? 

THE    DRUNKEN    SERVANT    STILL   A 
SERVANT. 

"A  drunken  servant  is  a  servant,  and  bound  to  do  his 
work  ;    his  master  loseth  not  his  right  by  his  man's  default." 

It  is  a  mere  assumption,  though  some  state  it 
with  much  confide' ice,  that  inability  removes  re- 
sponsibility. As  our  author  shows,  a  servant  may 
be  too  drunk  to  do  his  master's  bidding,  but  his 
service  is  still  his  master's  due.  If  responsibility 
began  and  ended  with  ability,  a  man  would  be  out 
of  debt  as  soon  as  he  was  unable  to  pay;  and  if  a 
man  felt  that  he  could  not  keep  his  temper,  he 
would  not  be  blamable  for  being  angry.  A  man 
may  be  bound  to  do  what  he  cannot  do:  the 
habitual  liar  is  bound  to  speak  the  truth,  though 
his  habit  of  falsehood  renders  him  incapable  of  it. 
Every  sin  renders  the  sinner  less  able  to  do  right, 
but  the  standard  of  his  duty  is  not  lowered  in  pro- 
portion to  the  lowering  of  his   capacity  to  come  up 


ILLUSTRATIONS  AND  MEDITATIONS.  383 

to  it,  or  it  would  follow  that  the  more  a  man  is 
depraved  by  sin  the  less  guilty  his  actions  become, 
which  is   absurd. 

THE  TRAITOR  WITHIN. 

"A  garrison  is  not  free  from  clanger  while  it  hath  an  enemy 
lodged  within." 

You  may  bolt  all  your  doors,  and  fasten  all  your 

windows,  but  if  the   thieves    have    placed   even   a 

little  child  within  doors,  who    can  draw  the  bolts 

for  them,  the  house  is  still   unprotected.     All  the 

sea    outside    a  ship  cannot  do  it  damage    till    the 

water  enters  within   and  fills  the  hold.      Hence,  it 

is  clear,  our  greatest  danger  is  from  within.     All 

the  devils  in  hell  and  tempters  on  earth  could  do 

us  no  injuiy  if  there  were    no  corruption    in    our 

nature.     The   sparks  will  fall  harmlessly  if  there 

is    no    tinder.       Alas,    our    heart    is    our    greatest 

enemy;  this  is  the  little  home-born  thief. 

AUGUSTINE'S    STORY. 

"Take  heed  of  giving  way  to  sin.  The  heart  that  was 
easily  troubled  before,  when  once  it  is  inured  to  sin,  loseth 
all  its  sensitiveness  and  tenderness,  and  what  seemed  intol- 
erable at  first  grows  into  a  delight.  Alipius,  St.  Austin's 
friend,  first  abhorred  the  bloody  spectacles  of  the  gladiators, 
but  gave  himself  leave,  through  the  importunity  of  friends, 
to  be  present  for  once.  He  would  not  so  much  as  open  his 
eyes  at  first;  but  at  length,  when  the  people  shouted,  he 
gave  himself  liberty  to  see,  and  then  not  only  beheld  the 


384      LIFE  AND  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  II.  SPURGEO.V. 

spectacles  with  delight,  but  drew  others  to  behold  what  him- 
self once  loathed." 

The  story  has  had  its  counterpart  in  thousands 

of  instances.     Men  who  shuddered  at  the  sight  of 

a  dead  bird  have,  by  familiarity  with  cruelty,  come 

to  commit  murder  without  compunction.  Those  who 

sipped  half  a  glass  of  wine  have  come  to  drink  by 

the  gallon.     Stanch  Protestants  have  given  way  to 

some  little  form  and  ceremony,  and  become  more 

popish  than  the  Romanists  themselves.     There  is 

no  safety  if  we  venture  an  inch  over  the  boundary 

line;  indeed,  little  allowances  are  more  dangerous 

than  greater   compliances,    since   conscience   does 

not  receive  a  wound,  and  yet  the  man  is  undone, 

and  falls  by  little  and  little. 

DRINKING   TO    DROWN    CARE. 

"  He  is  a  mountebank  who  strives  to  make  men  forget 
their  spiritual  sorrows  instead  of  leading  them  to  the  true 
cure.  This  is  like  a  man  in  debt,  who  drinks  to  drown  his 
thoughts;  but  this  neither  pays  the  debt  nor  postpones  the 
reckoning." 

When   conscience  is  uneasy,  it  is  foolish  as  well 

as    wicked    to    attempt   to    smother    its    cries  with 

worldly  merriment.     Nay,  let  us  hear  it  patiently. 

If  we  be  in   debt  let  us  know  it,    and   set   about 

meeting  our  liabilities  like  honest  men ;  but  to  burn 

the  ledger  and  discharge  the  clerk  is  a  madman's 


ILLUSTRATIONS  AND  MEDITATIONS.  385 

way  of  going  to  work.  O  soul,  be  true  to  thyself. 
Face  thine  own  case,  however  bad  it  may  be;  for 
refusing  to  know  and  consider  the  sure  facts  will 
not  alter  or  improve  them.  He  is  a  cruel  doctor 
who  tells  the  afflicted  patient  that  he  ails  nothing, 
and  thus  sets  him  for  the  time  at  his  ease,  at  the 
terrible  cost  of  future  disease,  rendered  incurable 

by  delay. 

Lord,  bring  me  to  the  bar  of  my  conscience 
now,  lest  I  stand  condemned  at  thy  bar  of  judgment 
hereafter. 

C^SAR  KILLED  WITH  BODKINS. 

"Not  only  do  great  sins  ruin  the  soul,  but  lesser  faults  will 
do  the  same.  Dallying  with  temptation  leads  to  sad  conse- 
quences.    Caesar  was  killed  with  bodkins." 

A  dagger  aimed  at  the  heart  will  give  as  deadly 
a  wound  as  a  huge  two-handed  sword,  and  a  little 
sin  unrepented  of  will  be  as  fatal  as  a  gross  trans- 
gression. Brutus  and  Cassius  and  the  rest  of  the 
conspirators  could  not  have  more  surely  ended 
Caesar's  life  with  spears  than  they  did  with  dag- 
gers. Death  can  hide  in  a  drop,  and  ride  in  a 
breath  of  air.  Our  greatest  dangers  lie  hidden  in 
little  things.  Milton  represents  thousands  of  evil 
spirits  as  crowded  into  one  hall;  and  truly  the  least 
sin  may  be  a  very  Pandemonium,  in  which  a  host 


3S6     LIFE  AND  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  II.  SPURGEON. 

of  evils    may  be    concealed — a    populous    hive   of 
mischiefs    each  one  storing  death. 

BERNARD'S  CHARITY. 

"When  Bernard  chanced  to  espy  a  poor  man  meanly 
apparelled,  he  would  say  to  himself:  'Truly,  Bernard,  this 
man  hath  more  patience  beneath  his  cross  than  thou  hast.' 
But  if  he  saw  a  rich  man  delicately  clothed,  then  he  would 
say  :  '  It  may  be  that  this  man,  under  his  delicate  clothing, 
hath  a  better  soul  than  thou  hast  under  thy  religious  habit !  '  " 

This  showed  an  excellent  charity!     Oh,  that  we 

could  learn  it!     It  is  easy  to  think  evil  of  all  men, 

for  there  is  sure  to  be  some  fault  about  each  one 

which  the  least  discerning  may  readily  discover; 

but  it  is  far  more  worthy  of  a  Christian,  and  shows 

much  more  nobility  of  soul,  to  spy  out  the  good  in 

each   fellow-believer.     This   needs   a  larger  mind 

as  well  as  a  better  heart,  and  hence  it  should  be  a 

point  of  a  honor  to  practise  ourselves  in  it  till  we 

obtain  an  aptitude  for  it.      Any  simpleton  might  be 

set  to  sniff  out  offensive  odors ;  but  it  would  require 

a   scientific    man  to   bring   to   us   all  the    fragrant 

essences  and  rare  perfumes  which  lie  hid  in  field 

and  garden.      Oh,  to  learn  the  science  of  Christian 

charity!     It  is  an  art  far  more  to  be  esteemed  than 

the  most  lucrative  of  human  labors.     This  choice 

art  of  love  is  the  true  alchemy.      Charity  towards 

others,  abundantly  practised,  would  be  the  death  of 


ILLUSTRATIONS  AND  MEDITATIONS.  387 

envy  and  the  life  of  fellowship,  the  overthrow  of 
self  and  the  enthronement  of  grace. 

A  SWORD  NOT  TO  BE  JUDGED  BY  THE 
BELT. 

"We  do  not  judge  a  sword  to  be  good  merely  because  it 
hangs  by  a  golden  belt,  or  because  it  is  set  in  a  jewelled 
hilt." 

Neither  is  a  doctrine  to  be  valued  because  a  fine 
orator  delivers  it  in  gorgeous  speech  with  glittering 
words.  A  lie  is  none  the  better  for  being  be- 
spangled with  poetic  phrases  and  high-sounding 
periods.  Yet  half  our  people  forget  this,  and  glit- 
tering oratorv  fascinates  them.  Alas,  poor  sim- 
pletons! 

The  same  blunders  are  made  about  men,  who 
should  ever  be  esteemed  according  to  their  native 
worth,  and  not  according  to  their  position  and 
office.  What  mistakes  we  should  make  if  we  con- 
sidered all  the  hangers-on  of  great  men  to  be  them- 
selves great,  or  all  the  followers  of  good  men  to 
be  themselves  necessarily  good.  Alas!  the  Lord 
Himself  had  His  Judas,  and  to  this  day  swords  of 
brittle  metal  hang  at  the  golden  girdle  of  His 
church.  A  man  is  not  a  saint  because  he  occupies 
a  saintly  office,  or  repeats  saintly  words. 

No;  the  test  of  a  sword's  goodness  is  to  be  found 


388      LIFE  AND  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  H.  SPURGEOX. 

in  battle.  Will  its  edge  turn  in  the  fray,  or  will  it 
cut  through  a  coat  of  mail?  Will  our  faith  bear 
affliction?  Will  it  stand  us  in  good  stead  when  we 
are  hand  to  hand  with  the  enemy?  Will  it  avail 
us  in  the  dying  hour?  If  not,  we  may  suspend  it 
on  the  glittering  belt  of  great  knowledge,  and  hold 
it  by  the  jewelled  hilt  of  a  high  profession;  but 
woe  unto  us! 

SATAN  CASTING  OUT  SATAN. 

"Lusts  are  contrary  one  to  another,  and  therefore  jostle 
for  the  throne,  and  usually  take  it  by  turns.  As  our  ances- 
tors sent  for  the  Saxons  to  drive  out  the  Picts,  so  do  carnal 
men  drive  out  one  lust  by  another,  and,  like  the  lunatic  in 
the  gospel  (Matt,  xvii,)  fall  sometimes  into  the  water,  and 
sometimes  into  the  fire.'' 

Of  what  use  then  can  reforms  be  which  are 
wrought  by  an  evil  agency?  If  sobriety  be  the 
fruit  of  pride,  it  grows  upon  a  pernicious  root,  and 
though  the  body  be  no  longer  intoxicated,  the  mind 
will  be  drunken.  If  revenge  be  foresworn  from 
considerations  of  avarice,  the  meanness  of  the 
miserly  is  a  small  gain  upon  the  fury  of  the  pas- 
sionate. If  outward  irreligion  be  abandoned  out 
of  a  desire  to  gain  human  applause,  the  Pharisee 
will  be  a  very  slender  improvement  upon  the  prod  • 
igal.  Satan's  casting  out  of  Satan  is  deceitful 
work;  his  intent  no  doubt  is  to  establish  his  empire 
by  pretending  to  overthrow  it. 


ILLUSTRATIONS  AND  MEDITATIONS.  389 

No,  there  must  be  another  power  at  work;  or 
little  is  accomplished.  Any  fancied  good  which 
one  devil  may  bring  another  is  sure  to  take  away, 
and  the  last  end  of  the  man  whom  Satan  mends  is 
always  worse  than  the  first.  A  stronger  than  he 
must  enter  in  by  force  of  grace,  and  hurl  him  out 
by  divine  force,  and  take  full  possession,  or  the 
man  may  be  another  man  but  not  a  new  man. 

THE  BURNING-GLASS. 

"When  the  beams  of  the  sun  are  contracted  by  a  burning- 
glass,  upon  one  spot,  then  they  cause  fire ;  so  when  our 
thoughts  are  concentrated  on  one  object  they  warm  the  heart 
and  at  last  burn  the  truth  into  it." 

This  is  the  reason  why  so  many  sermons  and 
addresses  are  so  cold  and  ineffective;  they  are  not 
sufficiently  focused  upon  one  point.  There  are 
many  rays  of  light,  but  they  are  scattered.  We 
get  a  little  upon  many  things,  while  what  is  wanted 
is  one  great  truth,  and  so  much  upon  it  as  shall  fix 
it  on  the  heart,  and  set  the  soul  blazing  with  it. 
This  is  the  fault  of  many  lives:  they  are  squan- 
dered upon  a  dozen  objects,  whereas  if  they  were 
economized  for  one,  they  would  be  mighty  lives, 
known  in  the  present  and  honored  in  the  future. 
"This  one  thing  I  do"  is  a  necessary  motto  if  we 
are  to  accomplish  anything. 


390      LIFE  AND  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  H.  SPURGEON. 

BARKING  DOGS  CATCH  NO  GAME. 

"Hard  speeches  have  an  evil  influence  in  controversy,  and 
do  exasperate  rather  than  convince.  The  dog  that  foFloweth 
the  game  with  barking  and  bawling  loseth  the  prey ;  and 
there  is  not  a  more  likely  way  to  undermine  the  truth  than 
an  unseemly  defence  of  it.  Satan  is  mightily  gratified,  if  men 
had  eyes  to  see  it,  with  the  ill  managing  of  God's  cause." 

This  lesson  is  a  needful  one.  Zealots  are  apt  to 
mistake  hard  words  for  arguments.  The  more  in 
earnest  we  are,  the  more  we  are  tempted  to  speak 
bitterly,  and  to  overlook  the  better  side  of  our  oppo- 
nent's cause.  Many  who  think  with  us  applaud 
us  most  for  those  very  utterances  which  deserve  the 
censure  of  the  wise ;  and  this  foolish  commendation 
is  apt  to  egg  us  on  in  the  same  unprofitable  direc- 
tion. They  would  be  more  judicious  if,  while  ap- 
proving our  seal,  they  hinted  that  we  might  use  a 
sweeter  method  and  be  none  the  less  strong. 

We  hope  as  we  grow  older  to  be  able  to  hunt 
more  quietly,  with  surer  scent  but  with  less  bark- 
ing. Certainly  as  we  grow  in  grace  we  shall  more 
carefully  distinguish  between  holy  ardor  which  is 
kindled  by  the  Spirit,  and  carnal  heat,  which  is  the 
wild-fire  of  unrenewed  nature.  God  grant  that  as 
we  grow  prudent  we  may  not  also  become  luke- 
warm; else  we  may  gain  one  way  and  lose  another. 
We  are  poor  creatures,  for  when  we  try  to  avoid  an 


ILLUSTRATIONS  AND   MEDITATIONS.  391 

evil  we  generally  swing  like  a  pendulum  to  the 
opposite  quarter,  and  commit  another  folly  The 
middle  point,  the  golden  mean  of  virtue,  we  do  not 
readily  reach. 

VIOLET  AND  NETTLE. 

"Laden  boughs  hang  low.  The  nettle  mounteth  above  its 
fellow  weeds,  but  the  violet  lieth  shrouded  under  its  leaves, 
and  is  only  found  out  by  its  own  scent." 

Walking  one  day  by  a  stream  we  were  conscious 
of  a  delicious  perfume,  and  only  then  did  we  perceive 
the  little  blue  eyes  which  were  looking  up  to  us  so 
meekly  from  the  ground  on  which  we  stood.  Virtue 
is  always  modest,  and  modesty  is  itself  a  virtue.  He 
who  is  discovered  by  his  real  excellence,  and  not 
by  his  egotistical  advertisements  of  his  own  perfec- 
tions, is  a  man  worth  knowing;  the  other  is  a  mere 
nettle  who  is  sure  to  be  forgotten,  unless  indeed  his 
blustering  pride  should  sting  some  tender  spirit  and 
secure  a  wretched  kind  of  remembrance. 


392      LIFE  AND  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  H.  SPURGEON 


THE   CLEW  OF  THE  MAZE. 


LET  US  LIVE. 


The  most  important  part  of  human  life  is  not  its  end,  but 
its  beginning.  Our  death-day  is  the  child  of  the  past,  but 
our  opening  years  are  the  sires  of  the  future.  At  the  last 
hour  men  summon  to  their  bedside  a  solemnity  of  thought 
which  arrives  too  late  for  any  practical  result.  The  hush 
and  awe  and  far-away  look,  so  frequent  in  departing  mo- 
ments, should  have  come  much  sooner.  Commend  us  to  the 
example  of  the  Hebrew  king,  who  fasted  and  wore  sackcloth 
while  the  child  was  yet  alive.  Wisely  did  he  foresee  the 
uselessness  of  lamenting  when  the  scene  should  close.  "Can 
I  bring  him  back  again?"  was  one  of  the  most  sensible  of 
questions. 

It  may  be  serious  business  to  take  the  cold  iron  from  the 
anvil ;  it  seems  to  us  far  sadder  to  be  standing  still,  and  see- 
ing the  hot  bar  grow  chill.  Brother,  at  my  side,  whoever 
you  may  be,  let  us  STRiKe! 

WHAT  HAS  DOUBT  ACHIEVED? 

How  is  it  that  no  such  trophy  has  ever  been  raised  to  the 
honor  of  unbelief?  Will  the  poet  of  infidelity  and  the  his- 
torian of  scepticism  yet  appear?  If  so,  what  will  be  their 
record  ?  "Working  righteousness"  and  ''obtaining  promises" 
are  rather  out  of  the  line  of  doubt,  and  it  is  not  likely  to 
endure  much  suffering  to  "obtain  a  better  resurrection,"  for 
it  sneers  at  the  mention  of  such  a  thing  ;  the  eulogist  of 
doubt  would  have  to  content  himself  with  lower  achieve- 
ments. But  what  would  they  be?  What  hospitals  or  orphan- 
ages has  doubt  erected?  What  missions  to  cannibal  tribes 
has  infidelity  sustained  ?  What  fallen  women  or  profligate 
men  has  scepticism  reclaimed  and  new-created  ? 


THE   CLE  IV  OF    THE   MAZE.  393 

DOUBT  IS  STERILE. 

The  fact  is  that  doubt  is  negative,  destructive,  sterile.  It 
constrains  no  man  to  nobler  things,  and  begets  in  the  human 
mind  no  hopes  or  aspirations.  It  is  by  no  means  a  principle 
upon  which  to  base  life's  fabric  ;  for  whatever  force  it  has  is 
subversive,  and  not  constructive.  A  principle  which  tends 
to  nothing  but  universal  smash  is  not  one  to  which  an  ordi- 
nary man  may  contentedly  commit  the  ruling  of  his  life. 
What  if  some  religious  notions  be  mere  fancy,  impractical, 
and  imaginary  ?  It  is  no  great  thing  after  all  to  be  good  at 
breaking  up  the  bric-a-brac  of  the  house.  However  much 
the  coldly-wise  may  rejoice  to  be  rid  of  what  they  call  rub- 
bish, it  will  be  no  great  feat  to  sweep  away  all  the  frail 
fabrics  ;  the  genius  required  is  akin  to  that  which  is  incar- 
nate in  a  monkey  or  wild  bull.  Our  ambition  lies  in  a  higher 
region  ;  we  would  construct  rather  than  destroy.  Since  we 
aspire  to  honorable  and  useful  lives,  we  seek  a  positive  force 
which  will  bear  us  onward  and  upward.  Those  who  prefer 
to  do  so  may  doubt,  and  doubt,  and  doubt  to  the  dregs  of 
nothing ;  but  our  choice  is  to  find  truth  and  believe  it,  that 
it  may  be  a  life-force  to  us.  No  partisan  has  yet  had  the 
hardihood  to  preach  an  evangel  of  '' 'doubt  and  live  /"  for  too 
manifestly  doubt  is  akin  to  death  ;  but  believe  and  live  is 
the  essence  of  the  message  from  heaven,  and  we  accept  it. 

SELF-RELIANCE  AND  A  BETTER  RELIANCE. 

Self-reliance  is  inculcated  as  a  moral  virtue,  and  in  a  cer- 
tain sense,  with  due  surroundings,  it  is  so.  Observation  and 
experience  show  that  it  is  a  considerable  force  in  the  world. 
He  who  questions  his  own  powers,  and  does  not  know  his 
own  mind,  hesitates,  trembles,  falters,  fails  ;  his  diffidence  is 
the  author  of  his  disappointment.  The  self-reliant  individual 
hopes,  considers,  plans,  resolves,  endeavors,  perseveres 
succeeds ;  his  assurance  of  victory  is  one  leading  cause  of 
his  triumph.  A  man  believes  in  his  own  capacity,  and  unless 
he  is  altogether  a  piece  of  emptiness  he  gradually  convinces 
others  that  his  estimate  is  correct.  Even  self-conceit,  im- 
modest though  it  be,  has  sometimes  acted  forcefully,  just  as, 


394      LIFE  AND  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  II.  SPURGEON. 

at  a  pinch,  Dutch  courage  has  supplied  the  place  of  valor. 
The  essence  of  the  matter  is  that  confidence  of  some  sort  is 
an  item  of  great  importance  in  accomplishing  our  designs, 
and  distrust  or  doubt  is  a  source  of  weakness  in  any  and 
every  case.  Faith,  then,  we  choose,  rather  than  doubt,  as 
the  mainspring  of  our  life. 

SCEPTICISM— NO  VERY  GREAT  ACHIEVEMENT. 

It  has  been  well  said,  "Nothing  is  easier  than  to  doubt.  A 
man  of  moderate  ability  or  learning  can  doubt  more  than  the 
wisest  men  believe."  Faith  demands  knowledge,  for  it  is  an 
intelligent  grace,  able  and  anxious  to  justify  itself;  but 
infidelity  is  not  required  to  give  a  reason  for  the  doubt  that 
is  in  it ;  a  defiant  mien  and  a  blustering  tone  answer  its  pur- 
pose quite  as  well  as  argument.  In  fact,  the  present  acme  of 
unbelief  is  to  know  nothing ;  and  what  is  this  but  the 
apothesis  of  ignorance?  Great  is  the  glory  of  knowing 
nothing  ! 

A  man  may  glide  into  agnosticism  insensibly,  and  remain 
in  it  languidly  ;  but  to  believe  is  to  be  alive — alive  to  conflict 
and  watchfulness.  Those  who  think  faith  to  be  a  childish 
business  will  have  to  make  considerable  advances  toward 
manliness  before  they  are  able  to  test  their  own  theory. 

Shall  we  prefer  doubt  because  it  is  so  ready  to  our  hand,  or 
shall  we  become  truth-seekers  even  if  we  have  to  dive  like 
pearl-fishers?  That  depends  upon  the  mind  which  is  in  us. 
We  shall  elect  our  life-rule  according  to  the  spirit  within.  A 
brave  soul  will  not  tamely  follow  the  ignoble  way  of  the 
many,  but  will  aspire  to  the  higher  paths  even  if  they  be  the 
more  difficult. 

FAITH  IN  THE  UNSEEN. 

That  we  should  limit  our  confidence  to  the  region  of  our 
senses  is  an  absurd  supposition.  No  man  has  seen,  or  heard, 
or  tasted  the  greatest  of  known  forces.  Steam,  electricity, 
gravitation,  and  the  rest  of  the  giants,  are  all  invisible.  The 
earth  is  preserved  in  its  orbit  by  forces  which  we  cannot 
grasp.  "  He  hangeth  the  world  upon  nothing."  The  visible 
powers  are  of  minor  rank  ;  the  more  completely  a  force  can 


THE    CLEW   OF   THE  MAZE.  395 

be  compassed  by  human  thought,  the  more  insignificant  il 
must  be.  Take  an  illustration  from  daily  life  :  the  old  Latin 
proverb  hath  it,  that  it  is  the  mark  of  a  poor  man  than  he  can 
count  his  flocks.  The  few  pounds  which  he  has  saved  can 
be  handled  by  the  artisan  every  hour  of  the  day  if  their 
jingle  pleases  him;  but  the  great  banker  has  never  seen  his 
millions,  and  the  evidence  that  he  possesses  them  lies  in  cer- 
tain bonds  and  bills  in  which  he  places  unquestionable  reli- 
ance. He  is  rich  by  faith.  He  could  hardly  be  very  rich  and 
actually  see  his  wealth. 

GOD  CAN  BE  KNOWN. 

It  has  been  asserted  that  God  cannot  be  known.  Those 
who  say  this  declare  that  they  themselves  know  nothing  but 
phenomena;  and  therefore  they  are  bound,  if  candid,  to 
admit  that  they  do  not  themselves  know  that  God  cannot  be 
known.  As  they  confessedly  know  nothing  about  it,  they 
should  not  be  offended  if  we  leave  them  out  of  our  con- 
sideration. 

He  who  made  the  world  was  certainly  an  intelligent  Being, 
in  fact,  the  highest  Intelligence;  for  in  myriads  of  ways  His 
works  display  the  presence  of  profound  thought  and  knowl- 
edge. Lord  Bacon  said,  "I  had  rather  believe  all  the  fables 
of  the  Talmud  and  the  Koran  than  that  this  universal  frame 
is  without  a  Mind."  This  being  so,  we  do  in  that  very  fact 
know  God  in  a  measure  ;  aye,  and  in  such  a  measure  that  we 
are  prepared  to  trust  Him.  He  that  made  all  things  is  more 
truly  an  object  of  confidence  than  all  things  that  He  has 
made. 

GOD'S  EXISTENCE  NOT  TAKEN  FOR  GRANTED. 

Do  we  take  God's  existence  for  granted  ?  Certainly  not. 
We  believe  it  to  be  a  fact  proved  beyond  any  other.  To  the 
candid  mind,  not  diseased  with  cavilling,  but  honestly 
rational,  the  existence  of  a  work  proves  the  existence  of  a 
worker,  a  design  necessitates  a  designer,  a  forethought  in- 
volves a  fore-thinker.  Now,  if  we  were  even  in  a  desert  with 
Mungo  Park,  a  bit  of  moss  would  be  argument  enough  that 


396      LIFE  AXD  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  II  SPURGEOX. 

God  was  there  ;  or,  for  the  matter  of  that,  the  sand  under 
our  feet  and  the  sun  above  our  heads  would  suffice  to  prove 
that  fact.  But  dwelling  on  a  fair  island,  teeming  with  all 
manner  of  life,  we  may  count  as  many  proofs  of  the  Godhead 
as  there  are  objects  of  sight,  and  hearing,  and  taste,  and 
smell. 

This,  of  course,  is  called  a  "  mere  platitude  ;"  but,  by  the 
gentleman's  leave,  his  Latin  word  makes  no  difference  to 
the  absolute  certainty  of  the  argument. 

If  more  proofs  were  offered,  they  would  no  doubt  be 
blocked  in  the  same  captious  manner ;  but  contemptuous 
epithets  are  no  replies  to  fair  reasoning.  We  conceive  that 
one  sound  proof  is  better  than  twenty  faulty  ones ;  and  if 
that  one  does  not  convince,  neither  would  a  legion.  The 
French  savants,  en  route  for  Egypt,  pestered  Napoleon  with 
their  denials  of  a  God,  but  his  astute  intellect  was  not  led 
astray.  He  took  them  upon  deck,  and  pointing  to  the  stars, 
demanded,  "Who  made  all  these  ?  " 

DOUBT  LOGICALLY  CARRIED  OUT. 

Doubt,  as  to  the  being  of  a  God,  has  but  a  short  way  to  run 
to  finish  its  legitimate  career.  No  man  who  believes  that  he 
has  a  soul  can  give  better  proof  of  his  mental  being  than 
that  which  we  can  give  of  the  existence  of  God.  Let  him 
try.  He  claims  that  his  own  consciousness  is  a  proof  of  his 
being  alive.  We  reply  that  it  may  be  very  good  evidence  to 
himself,  but  it  can  be  none  to  us,  nor  would  a  rational  man 
attempt  to  use  it  in  that  way.  Our  friend  answers,  "I  work, 
and  my  work  demonstrates  that  I  am."  Precisely  so,  and 
God's  works  demonstrate  that  He  is.  Quickly  it  is  replied, 
"But  you  see  me  work,  and  you  see  not  God.'-  To  which 
we  answer,  we  by  no  means  see  you  work  ;  your  body  is  not 
yourself,  your  true  self  we  have  never  seen.  Your  mind  ex- 
ecutes its  purpose  through  your  external  frame,  and  we  see 
your  limbs  moving ;  but  the  soul  which  moves  them  is  out 
of  sight,  and  it  is  a  mystery  of  mysteries  how  a  spiritual 
subsistence,  such  as  the  mind  is,  should  be  able  to  operate 
upon  matter.    The  initial  impression  of  mind  upon  matter  is 


THE   CLEW  OF  THE  MAZE.  397 

a  secret  which  no  mortal  has  unveiled.  You  cannot  prove 
the  existence  of  your  soul  to  another  man  except  by  the 
same  arguments  which  prove  the  being  of  God. 

THE  GREAT  GOD  ANSWERING  TO  FAITH. 

Moreover,  we  may  not  refuse  reliance  upon  God  on  the 
ground  of  our  insignificance ;  for  it  is  not  conceivable  that 
anything  can  be  too  little  for  God.  The  wonders  of  the 
microscope  are  quite  as  remarkable  as  those  of  the  tele- 
scope ;  we  may  not  set  a  bound  to  the  Lord  in  one  direction 
any  more  than  in  the  other.  He  can  and  will  show  His 
divine  skill  in  a  man's  life,  as  well  as  in  a  planet's  circuit. 

Witnesses  are  alive  to  testify  to  the  Lord's  making  bare 
His  arm  on  the  behalf  of  them  that  trust  Him.  Any  man 
may  also  put  the  principle  to  the  test  in  his  own  instance ; 
and  it  is  memorable  that  none  have  done  so  in  vain.  There 
are  no  reasons  in  His  nature  why  God  should  not  answer  to 
His  creatures'  confidence ;  there  are  many  reasons  why  He 
should  ;  at  any  rate  as  far  as  we  are  concerned,  we  are  ready 
to  put  it  to  the  test,  and  to  let  the  experiment  last  through- 
out our  whole  existence. 

WHY  IS  NOT  GOD  RELIED  ON  ? 

Does  it  not  seem  remarkable  that  so  few  men  should  lov- 
ingly reach  forth  to  the  idea  of  linking  their  lives  to  God 
in  faith?  Why  is  it?  The  severe  moralist  would  rightly 
answer — because  they  have  no  desire  to  lead  lives  with 
which  God  could  have  any  connection ;  they  seek  not  such 
purity,  truth,  justice,  holiness  as  God's  energy  would  work 
in  them.  Doubtless  this  is  the  case  ;  but  let  it  not  be  true  of 
us.  Virtue  is  so  admirable  that  we  cannot  have  too  much  of 
it,  and  the  fact  that  the  divine  power  makes  toward  good- 
ness is  one  of  its  chief  attractions  in  the  eyes  of  right- 
minded  men. 

FURTHER  CAUSES  OF  NON-BELIEF. 

Secretly  men  have  a  confidence  somewhere,  even  when 
they  refuse  to  rely  upon  God.     They  have   made  gods  of 


39S      LIFE  AND  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  H.  SPURGEON. 

themselves,  and  have  come  to  rest  in  self-sufficiency.  He 
who  has  never  seen  his  own  face  may  easily  believe  in  its 
superlative  beauty,  if  he  be  aided  therein  by  flatterers.  So  a 
man  who  knows  not  his  own  heart  may  readily  form  a  high 
opinion  of  his  own  excellence,  and  find  confidence  in  his 
own  wisdom  a  plant  of  rapid  growth.  This  is  one  of  the 
worst  enemies  of  faith.  He  who  can  for  all  time  rely  upon 
himself  has  no  patience  with  talk  about  faith  in  God ;  he 
relegates  that  lowly  stuff  to  underlings ;  he  is  of  courtlier 
mould.  His  self-restraint  is  perfect,  his  judgment  is  infal- 
lible, his  appreciation  of  the  morally  beautiful  is  fully  devel- 
oped ;  he  is  a  self-made  man,  and  is  both  his  own  Providence 
ana  Rewarder. 

"Tut — the  man  is  a  fool 7"  Quick  and  sensible  minds 
speaks  thus  impatiently  ;  and  the  cooler  observations  of  the 
charitable  are  sorrowfully  driven  to  confirm  their  verdict. 
We,  with  whom  the  reader  now  communes,  are  not  such 
grand  self-governing  infallibles.  We  fear  that  our  appetites 
and  passions  may  betray  us,  that  our  reason  may  misguide 
us,  that  our  prejudices  may  impede  us,  that  our  surround- 
ings may  stumble  us ;  and,  therefore,  most  deliberately 
would  we  look  to  the  Strong  for  strength,  and  cast  our  folly 
upon  the  wisdom  of  the  Eternal.  Of  course  we  shall  not 
expect  imitators  among  the  vainglorious,  the  frivolus,  and 
the  fancifully  perfect. 

THE   SNEER. 

Sneers  are  poor,  paltry  things  ;  they  are  not  born  in  good 
men's  bosoms,  and  most  wise  men  despise  them  when 
levelled  at  themselves.  They  break  no  bones,  and  men  of 
backbone  smile  at  them.  Yet  with  the  weaker  sort  they  are 
terrible  weapons  of  war,  and  the  dread  of  them  has  made 
more  cowards  than  the  roar  of  cannon. 

"I  had  as  liefjnot  be,  as  live  to  be 
In  awe  of  such  a  thing  as  I,  myself." 

SEEING  FOR  ONE'S  SELF. 

We  are  not  exacting  when  we  demand  than  each  candid 
man  should  read  the  Bible  for  himself.     In  testing  a  book, 


THE   CLEW  OF   THE  MAZE.  399 

which  professes  to  be  the  revelation  of  God's  mind,  we  shall 
act  unworthily  if  we  trust  to  others,  be  they  who  they  may. 
Second-hand  information  lacks  assurance  and  vividness;  a 
personal  investigation  is  far  more  satisfactory  and  beneficial. 
The  highly  superior  person,  who  dismisses  the  whole  matter 
with  a  final  verdict,  which  closes  the  argument  before  it  is 
opened,  is  probably  not  so  cultured  a  being  as  he  affects  to 
be.  At  any  rate,  he  lacks  the  judicial  mind  so  helpful  in  the 
pursuit  of  truth.  Doth  our  wisdom  decide  a  matter  before 
it  heareth  it  ? 

Nature  demands  attention,  hard  and  persevering,  from 
those  who  would  be  true  scientists  ;  the  Word  of  God  cer- 
tainly deserves  as  reverent  an  investigation  as  His  works. 
Why  should  not  the  scriptures  be  studied  thoroughly?  Even 
as  mere  literature  they  will  well  reward  the  scholar's  care. 
It  is  the  part  of  a  wise  man  calmly  and  earnestly  to  search 
those  famous  writings  which  are  prized  by  so  many  master- 
minds. The  voice  which  cried  to  Augustine,  "Tolle:  lege" 
was  no  sound  of  folly.  To  take  up  and  read  a  great  and 
good  book  cannot  be  to  our  detriment. 

SOMEWHAT  MORE  THAN  READING  ACCORDED. 

Much  of  the  instruction  contained  in  the  material  universe 
can  be  at  once  discerned  by  the  eye  of  the  thoughtful  ob- 
server, but  a  portion  of  its  secrets  no  man  can  thus  read ;  for 
the  discovery  of  much  scientific  truth  experiment  is  needed. 
The  chemist,  for  instance,  will  acquire  little  knowledge  if  he 
does  not  engage  in  tests  and  analyses.  We  will  not,  there- 
fore, in  the  pursuit  of  truth,  restrict  ourselves  to  mere  read- 
ing ;  if  the  scriptures  ask  for  experiment  or  experience,  we 
shall  be  prepared  to  perform  or  to  undergo  the  required  pro- 
cesses, if  at  all  reasonable. 

EFFECTS  OF  THE  BOOK. 

The  effect  which  it  has  produced  upon  the  nations  who 
have  yielded  it  even  a  partial  obedience  is  very  remarkable; 
they  are  now  far  in  advance  of  those  who  give  it  a  secondary 
place,  and  they  are  out  of  sight  before  those  who  are  unac- 


400      LIFE  AND  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  H.  SPURGEON. 

quainted  with  it.  The  result  which  follows  its  introduction 
in  our  own  da}-,  to  the  most  savage  races,  is  beyond  all 
question  exceedingly  beneficial.  Nobody  can  doubt  that  the 
South  Sea  Islands  have  been  lifted  out  of  the  worst  savagery 
by  the  teaching  of  this  volume.  We  have  not  yet  heard  of 
any  other  book  producing  such  effects,  and  thus  the  volume 
is  pressed  upon  our  attention  by  the  undeniable  results  of  its 
influence,  both  in  former  ages  and  in  our  own  times.  It  is 
very  easy  to  discover  persons  whose  entire  character  has 
been  changed  by  reading  this  Book  ;  easier  still  to  find 
individual  who  assert  that  it  is  their  comfort  under  all 
circumstances,  their  guide  out  of  all  difficulties,  and  the 
priceless  food  of  their  spirits. 

Many  other  books  have  been  warmly  praised  by  their 
readers  ;  but  we  have  never  yet  met  with  any  other  volume 
which  has  commanded  such  frequent  enthusiasm  and  such 
devoted  affection  as  the  Bible :  neither  have  we  heard  of 
one  which  answers  so  many  and  such  divers  purposes  in 
connection  with  the  lives  of  men. 

FULNESS   OF  THE    BOOK. 

One  of  the  marvels  of  the  Bible  is  its  singular  fulness.  It 
is  not  a  book  of  gold-leaf  beaten  thin,  as  most  books  are  as 
to  thought ;  but  its  sentences  are  nuggets  of  unalloyed  truth. 
The  book  of  God  is  clearly  the  god  of  books,  for  it  is  infi- 
nite. Well  said  a  German  author,  "In  this  little  book  is 
contained  all  the  wisdom  of  the  world." 

"We  search  the  world  for  truth  ;  we  cull 
The  good,  the  pure,  the  beautiful 
From  graven  stone  and  written  scroll, 
From  all  old  flower-fields  of  the  soul ; 
And,  weary  seekers  of  the  best, 
We  come  back  laden  from  the  quest, 
To  find  that  all  the  sages  said 
Is  in  the  Book  our  mothers  read." 

Two  literati  held  a  brief  discussion  as  to  which  of  all  books 
they  would  prefer  in  prison  if  they  were  shut  up  to  the  choice 
of  one,  and  could  not  obtain  another  for  twelve  months. 
The     first     made     a    sensible     selection     when     he     pro- 


THE   CLEW  OF   THE  MAZE.  401 

posed  to  take  Shakespeare  as  his  companion  ;  for  that  great 
author's  works  are  brimming  with  fresh  thoughts  and  mas- 
terly expression  ;  but  we  think  the  second  man  gave  an  un- 
answerable reason  for  preferring  the  Bible.  "Why,"  said 
iiis  friend,  "you  do  not  believe  in  it!"  "No,"  said  he,  "but 
whether  I  believe  in  it  or  not,  it  is  no  end  of  a  book.'''' 

We  thank  him  for  that  word;  it  is,  indeed,  "no  end  of  a 
book."  Its  range  of  subjects  is  boundless,  and  its  variety  of 
treatment  is  indescribable.  Its  depth  of  thought  and  height 
of  expression  are  immeasurable.  It  is  altogether  inexhausti- 
ble. It  is  a  million-times  magnified  Bodleian  of  teaching, 
and  its  Bibline  or  book  essence  is  of  the  most  concentrated 
kind.  The  Scripture  has  incidentally  suggested  masses  of 
human  literature,  and  it  is  the  actual  material  of  books  to  an 
extent  that  few  would  credit.  It  contains  vast  stores  of  what 
we  may  call  mother-of -thought. 

After  having  been  catechised,  criticised,  caricatured,  and 
crucified,  for  all  these  centuries,  it  still  remains  a  new  book, 
commencing  its  circulation  rather  than  ending  it.  When  the 
world  grows  older  and  wiser,  and  attains  to  the  sixth  form  of 
its  school,  the  sacred  volume  will  be  its  final  classic,  just  as 
it  was  its  first  hand-book  when  the  new-born  Hebrew  nation 
began  to  spell  out  the  rudiments  of  truth  and  righteousness. 

THE  SINLESS  ONE. 

A  clear  proof  of  the  Divine  Origin  of  Scripture  is  afforded 
by  its  portrait  of  the  Perfect  Man.  Jesus  is  sinless  in  thought, 
and  word,  and  deed;  His  enemies  are  unable  to  find  a  fault 
in  Him  either  of  excess  or  defect.  Nowhere  else  in  the 
world  have  we  such  another  portrait  of  man  ;  it  would  be 
superfluous  to  say  that  nowhere  have  we  such  another  man. 
Jesus  is  unique  ;  He  is  original,  with  peculiarities  all  His 
own,  but  without  any  divergence  from  the  straight  line  of 
rectitude.  He  is  not  a  recluse,  whose  character  would  have 
few  relationships,  and  therefore  few  tests,  but  one  living  in 
the  fierce  light  of  a  King  among  men,  coming  into  relation 
with  the  world  in  a  thousand  ways  ;  a  great  ethical  Teacher, 
inculcating  a  system  far  surpassing  any  other,  and  embody- 


402      LIFE  AND  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  H.  SPURGEON. 

ing  it  in  His  own  life;  above  all,  crowning  the  edifice  of  a 
perfect  life  with  the  surrender  of  Himself  to  death  for  His 
enemies.  Whence  came  this  portrait,  if  the  man  never  ex- 
isted? No  painter  goes- beyond  his  own  ideal ;  no  imperfect 
mind  could  have  invented  the  perfect  mind  of  Christ.  The 
record  is  divine. 

SCIENCE  AND  THE  BOOK  AT  ONE. 

Between  the  revelation  of  God  in  His  Word  and  that  in 
His  Works,  t'.:ere  can  be  no  actual  discrepancy.  The  one 
may  go  farther  than  the  other,  but  the  revelation  must  be 
harmonious.  Between  the  interpretation  of  the  Works  and 
the  interpretation  of  the  Word,  there  may  be  very  great  dif- 
ferences. It  must  be  frankly  admitted  that  the  men  of  the 
Book  have  sometimes  missed  its  meaning ;  we  have  never 
held  the  doctrine  of  the  infallibility  of  scripturists.  Nay, 
more  :  it  is  certain  that,  in  their  desire  to  defend  their  Bible, 
devout  persons  have  been  unwise  enough  to  twist  its  words, 
or  at  least  to  set  them  in  an  unnatural  light,  in  order  to  make 
the  Book  agree  with  the  teachings  of  scientific  men.  Herein 
has  lain  their  weakness.  If  they  had  always  labored  to 
understand  what  God  said  in  His  Book,  and  had  steadfastly 
adhered  to  its  meaning,  whatever  mi°:ht  be  advanced  by  the 
scientific,  they  would  have  been  wise;  and  as  professed  sci. 
ence  advanced  towards  real  science,  the  fact  that  the  old 
Book  is  right  would  have  become  more  and  more  apparent. 

SCIENTIFIC  STATEMENTS  NOT  INFALLIBLE. 

Those  who  have  addicted  themselves  to  the  study  of  nature 
and  have  despised  the  Word,  certainly  cannot  claim  such 
immunity  from  mistake  as  to  demand  a  revision  of  Scripture 
interpretation  every  time  they  enthrone  a  new  hypothesis. 
The  history  of  philosophy,  from  the  beginning  until  now, 
reads  very  like  a  Comedy  of  Errors.  Each  generation  of 
learned  men  has  been  eminently  successful  in  refuting  all  its 
predecessors,  and  there  is  every  probability  that  much  of 
what  is  now  indorsed  as  orthodox  scientific  doctrine  will  be 
entirely  upset  in  a  few  year's  time.    When  we  remember  that 


THE   CLEW  OF   THE  MAZE.  403 

one  coterie  of  savans  has  proved  to  a  demonstration  that 
there  is  no  such  thing  as  mind,  and  that  another  has  been 
equally  successful  in  proving  that  there  is  no  such  thing  as 
as  matter,  we  are  led  to  ask  the  question  :  "When  doctors 
differ,  who  is  to  decide  ?  " 

LITTLE  SETTLED  IN  SCIENCE. 

There  are  many  voices  in  the  world,  some  powerful,  and 
others  weak;  but  there  is  not  yet  a  concensus  of  thoughtful 
observers  sufficiently  strong  to  demonstrate  any  one  system 
of  science  to  be  absolutely  true.  The  inductive  process  of 
Bacon,  no  doubt,  yields  the  nearest  approach  to  certainty; 
but  even  this  cannot  raise  a  deduction  beyond  question,  for 
no  man  of  science  knows  all  the  instances  that  can  be  ad- 
duced, and  his  deduction  from  what  he  knows  may  be  upset 
by  equally  sure  inferences  from  what  he  does  not  know.  The 
time  over  which  scientific  observations  can  travel,  even  if  it 
be  extended  into  ages,  is  but  as  a  watch  in  the  night  com- 
pared with  the  eternity  of  God ;  and  the  range  of  human 
observation  is  but  as  a  drop  of  the  bucket  compared  with  the 
circle  of  the  heavens;  and  therefore  it  may  turn  out,  in  a 
thousand  instances,  that  there  are  more  things  in  heaven  and 
earth  than  were  ever  dreamed  of  in  the  most  accurate  phi- 
losophy of  scientists.  These  good  people  have  done  their 
best,  from  Aristotle  downward,  but  they  have  hardly  accom- 
plished more  than  to  prove  us  all  dunces,  and  themselves 
scarcely  a  fig  better  than  the  rest  of  us. 

NO  REMARKABLE  PRESENT  DIFFICULTY. 

At  the  present  moment  we  see  no  considerable  difficulty. 
Scripture  may  not  square  with  proposed  hypotheses,  but  it 
agrees  with  known  facts.  Scripture,  interpreted  in  an  intel- 
ligent manner,  displays  as  clear  an  agreement  with  Nature 
and  Providence  as  Words  can  show  with  Works.  An  article 
in  the  Illustrated  London  News  may  describe  in  words  a 
scene  which,  on  the  opposite  page,  is  depicted  by  the  pencil 
of  an  accurate  artist ;  the  two  forms  of  instruction  may  fully 
coincide,  and  yet  the  impression  upon  the  reader  who  fails 


404      LIFE  AND  WO  A' A'  OF  REV.  C.  IE  SPURGEOX. 

to  see  the  engraving  may  not  be  the  same  as  that  produced 
upon  an  observer  who  only  notices  the  sketch  and  neglects 
the  letter-press.  The  man  who  cared  only  for  the  typog- 
raphy might  quarrel  with  the  votary  of  the  wood-block, 
while  the  picture  observer  might  equally  well  retort  upon 
the  reader  ;  but  if  the  two  could  be  combined,  the  intent  of 
the  author  would  more  surely  be  understood.  Let  him  that 
readeth  the  Word  consider  the  Work,  and  let  him  that  ob- 
serveth  Nature  attend  to  Revelation,  and  growing  wisdom 
shall  be  the  reward  of  both. 


REMOVAL    OF    THE    GREAT    OBSTACLE 
TO    FAITH. 

Concerning  the  consciousness  of  evil  in  the  past  of  our 
lives  and  the  tendency  to  wrong-doing  in  our  nature,  the 
Bible  is  very  clear,  and  it  is  most  admirably  explicit  as  to 
God's  way  of  removing  this  barrier  to  our  future  progress. 
In  Holy  Scripture  we  see  a  most  wise  and  gracious  method 
for  the  putting  away  of  guilt,  without  injury  to  the  divine 
justice.  The  atonement  offered  by  the  Lord  Jesus,  who  is 
the  essence  of  the  revelation  of  God,  is  an  eminently  satis- 
factory solution  of  the  soul's  sternest  problem.  Our  feeling 
is  that  God,  the  universal  Ruler,  must  do  right,  and  must  not, 
even  for  mercy's  sake,  relax  the  rule  that  evil  done  must 
bring  evil  as  its  consequence.  We  would  not,  when  in  our 
best  frame  of  mind,  for  our  own  little  sake,  wish  to  have 
this  sanitary  law  abrogated.  Sin  ought  to  be  punished  ;  let 
the  rule  stand,  come  what  may  of  us.  An  unrighteous  God 
would  be  the  most  terrible  of  conceivable  evils.  Sin  linked 
with  reward  or  divorced  from  ill  consequences  would  be  the 
death  of  the  great  principle  of  righteousness,  which  is  the 
aspiration  of  all  perfect  moral  sanity.  Scripture  proposes 
no  abolition  of  law  or  relaxation  of  penalty,  but  it  reveals 
the  plan  of  substitution  ,  the  offended  Judge  bears  in  His 
own  person  the  consequences  of  the  offence  of  rebel  man ; 
He  assumes  human  nature,  that  in  His  own  person  human 
sin  may  be  visited  with  chastisement. 


THE    CLEW   OF   THE  MAZE.  405 

GOD'S  METHOD  OF  MERCY. 

Forgiveness  of  sin  through  an  atonement  satisfies  a  dim 
but  true  decision  of  humanity  in  favor  of  justice — a  decision 
which  is  well-nigh  unanimous  in  all  races.  Even  the  unen- 
lightened conscience  of  the  savage  heathen  will  not  rest  till 
the  sword  is  bared  and  a  victim  has  fallen.  Man  as  a  rule 
dares  not  approach  God  without  a  sacrifice.  The  more 
enlightened  mind  is  not  content  without  a  measure  of  ex- 
planation as  to  the  need  and  result  of  sacrifice ;  such 
explanation  is  given  in  the  inspired  Scripture,  given  with 
great  amplitude. 

FAITH  DELIGHTS  IN  A  PLAIN  GOSPEL. 

It  is  a  matter  of  deep  gratitude  that  the  Gospel  is  as  plain 
as  a  pikestaff.  If  it  had  been  intended  to  be  a  secret  remedy 
for  an  elite  few,  it  might  have  been  recondite  and  philosoph- 
ical ;  but  it  is  meant  for  the  poor,  the  illiterate,  and  the 
undeveloped  ;  and  therefore  it  must  needs  be  what  it  is — 
simplicity  itself.  Thank  God,  the  Gospel  does  not  lend  itself 
to  quackery !  To  hear  our  fashionable  thinkers  talk,  one 
might  suppose  the  Gospel  to  be  an  exclusive  and  aristocratic 
system  for  their  excellencies  to  amuse  themselves  with, 
whenever  they  might  condescend  to  develop  it  a  little  fur- 
ther. We  are  glad  to  find  it  in  the  Scriptures  in  the  form  of 
a  plain,  common-sense,  perfect  doctrine,  which  has  saved  its 
millions  already,  and  is  saving  multitudes  at  the  present 
moment,  and  will  save  its  myriads,  when  all  its  superfine 
critics  are  mouldering  in  their  graves.  Sometimes  faith  has 
great  need  of  patience,  when  it  is  pestered  with  objections 
against  a  system  which  is  everywhere  in  grand  operation, 
and  proving  itself  by  its  results.  Why  do  not  these  objectors 
raise  an  outcry  against  the  sun  ?  Why  not  deny  that  he  gives 
either  light  or  heat  ? 

FAITH  AND  THE  NATURE  OF  CHRIST. 

No  idea  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  approaches  to  correct- 
ness which  does  not  see  in  His  one  person  the  two  natures  of 
God     and     man    united.      In    that    person,    wherein    were 


406      LIFE  AND  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  II.  SPURGEON. 

blended,  but  not  confused,  the  Godhead  and  the  Manhood. 
a  practical  faith  has  its  most  ample  help.  Jesus  sympathizes 
with  the  condition  in  which  the  struggler  after  excellence 
finds  himself,  for  He  also  was  tempted  in  all  points  like  as 
we  are ;  He  knows  the  difficulties  which  grow  out  of  the 
infirmities  of  flesh  and  blood,  for  He  felt  sickness  and  pain, 
poverty  and  hunger,  weakness  and  depression.  It  is  a  great 
gain  in  a  human  career,  a  specially  suitable  assistance,  to 
have  an  unlimited  power  at  one's  side  by  sympathizing  with 
our  weakness. 

Nor  is  the  advantage  less  in  the  other  direction,  for  here 
is  a  Man,  bound  to  us  by  relationship  and  affection  the  most 
intense,  who  is  not  only  tender  to  the  last  degree  of  our 
suffering  nature,  but  is  also  as  wise  as  He  is  brotherly,  and 
as  mighty  to  subdue  our  faults  as  He  is  gentle  to  bear  with 
our  frailties.  His  Manhood  brings  Jesus  down  to  us,  but 
united  with  the  divine  nature  it  lifts  us  up  to  God.  The 
Lord  Jesus  thus  not  only  ministers  to  our  comfort,  but  to  our 
betterment,  which  is  the  greater  concern  of  the  two. 

Could  faith  believe  in  a  Being  more  answerable  to*  all  our 
needs,  more  helpful  to  our  noblest  longings?  Allied  to 
Jesus,  we  confidently  aspire  to  such  likeness  to  our  Creator 
as  it  is  possible  for  a  creature  to  bear. 

ENTHUSIASM    FOR   THE    PERSON    OF  JESUS. 

The  love  of  the  believer  to  the  Lord  Jesus  is  intensely 
personal  and  enthusiastic.  It  overtops  all  other  affections. 
His  love,  His  sufferings,  His  perfections,  His  glories  fill  the 
heart  and  set  it  on  fire.  There  is  more  force  in  the  love  of 
an  actual  living  person  than  in  subscription  to  any  set  of 
doctrines,  however  important  they  may  be.  The  courage  of 
a  leader  has  often  produced  deeds  of  daring  which  no  phi- 
losophy could  have  demanded- 


SERMON  EXTRACTS.  407 


SERMON  EXTRACTS. 


Providence  Like  a  Wheel. 

You  know  in  a  wheel  there  is  one  portion  that  never  turns 
round,  that  stands  steadfast,  and  that  is  the  axle.  So,  in 
God's  Providence  there  is  an  axle  which  never  moves.  Chris- 
tian, here  is  a  sweet  thought  for  thee  !  Thy  state  is  ever 
changing;  sometimes  thou  arc  exalted,  and  sometimes  de- 
pressed ;  yet  there  is  an  unmoving  point  in  thy  state.  What 
is  that  axle  ?  What  is  the  pivot  upon  which  all  the  machinery 
revolves  ?  It  is  the  axle  of  God's  everlasting  love  towards 
his  covenant  people.  The  exterior  of  the  wheel  is  changing, 
but  the  centre  stands  forever  fixed.  Other  things  may  move, 
but  God's  love  never  moves  ;  it  is  the  axle  of  the  wheel,  and 
this  is  another  reason  why  Providence  should  be  compared 
to  a  wheel. 

Babel  Building. 

But  I  know  you  will  go  away,  many  of  you,  and  try  to 
build  up  your  own  Babel  tower,  to  go  to  heaven.  Some  of 
you  will  go  one  way  to  work,  and  some  another.  You  will  go 
the  ceremony  way ;  you  will  lay  the  foundation  of  the  struc- 
ture with  infant  baptism,  build  confirmation  on.  it,  and  the 
Lord's  Supper.  "I  shall  go  to  heaven  ;"  you  say,  "do  not  I 
keep  Good  Friday  and  Christmas  Day?  I  am  a  better  man 
than  those  dissenters.  I  am  a  most  extraordinary  man.  Do 
I  not  say  more  prayers  than  anyone?  "  You  will  be  a  long 
while  going  up  that  treadmill  before  you  get  an  inch  higher. 
That  is  not  the  way  to  get  to  the  stars.  One  says,  "I  will  go 
and  study  the  Bible,  and  believe  right  doctrine;  and  I  have 
no  doubt  that  by  believing  right  doctrine  I  shall  be  saved." 
Indeed,  you  will  not !  You  can  be  no  more  saved  by  believ- 
ing right   doctrine  than  you   can   by   doing    right   actions. 


4o8      LIFE  AXD  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  II.  SPURGEON. 

"There,"  says  another,  "I  like  that;  I  shall  go  and  believe 
in  Christ,  and  live  as  I  like."  Indeed  you  will  not!  For  if 
you  believe  in  Christ  he  will  not  let  you  live  as  your  flesh 
liketh;  by  His  Spirit  he  will  constrain  you  to  mortify  its 
affections  and  lusts.  If  he  gives  you  the  grace  to  make  you 
believe,  he  will  give  you  the  grace  to  live  a  holy  life  after- 
wards. If  he  gives  you  faith,  he  gives  you  good  works 
afterwards.  You  cannot  believe  in  Christ  unless  you  re- 
nounce every  fault,  and  resolve  to  serve  him  with  full  pur- 
pose of  heart. 

How  to  Go  a  Begging. 

Sometimes  you  say,  "But  I  am  not  fit  to  go  to  Christ. 
"The  fittest  way  to  go  to  Christ  is  to  go  just  as  you  are. 
What  is  the  best  livery  to  wear  when  you  go  a  begging?  I 
recollect,  some  time  ago,  when  I  lived  not  far  from  here,  in 
the  extremeness  of  my  greenness,  I  gave  a  man  who  begged 
at  the  door  a  pair  of  patent  leather  boots.  He  put  them  on, 
and  expressed  great  gratitude ;  but  I  met  him  afterwards, 
and  I  was  not  at  all  surprised  to  find  that  he  had  pulled  them 
off.  They  were  not  at  all  the  style  of  things  to  go  about 
begging  in.  People  would  look  at  him  and  say:  "What! 
you  needing  coppers  while  wearing  those  handsome  boots  ? 
Your  tale  won't  do."  A  beggar  succeeds  a  great  deal  better 
barefoot  than  in  fine  shoes.  Rags  are  the  livery  of  mendi- 
cants. When  you  go  to  beg  for  mercy  at  the  hands  of  God, 
do  not  put  on  those  pretty  righteousness  of  yours,  but  go 
with  all  your  sin  and  misery,  and  emptiness,  and  wretched- 
ness, and  say:  "Lord,  here  am  I.  Thou  hast  said  that 
Christ  is  able  to  save  to  the  uttermost  them  that  come  unto 
G'od  by  him.  I  am  a  soul  that  wants  saving  to  the  uttermost, 
and  here  I  am,  I  have  come,  Lord,  save  me." 

The  Accuser   of  the  Brethren. 

I  now  turn  to  another  individual,  a  very  common  person- 
age, the  accuser  of  the  brethren,  I  fear  I  have  not  a  few  here 
of  that  sort.  I  know  I  have  some,  but  I  fear  there  may  be 
more  than  I  think.     Do  you  not  know  the  man,  who,  when- 


SERMON  EXTRACTS.  4°9 

ever  tie  can  say  a  vile  thing  of  a  Christian  will  doit;  who, 
whatever  a  Christian  man  may  do  will  make  mischief  of  it, 
who  is  inclined  at  all  times  to  be  turning  that  which  is  good 
into  evil ;  a  man  described  by  Spenser  in  his  picture  of  envy 
in  the  "Faerie  Queen."  Envy,  who  always  did  chaw  between 
his  dripping  lips  a  toad,  but  "inwardly  he  chawed  his  own 
man,"  eating  his  own  heart,  spitting  on  every  one's  good 
thing,  imagining  that  every  creature  was  as  foul  and  as  loath- 
some as  himself.  I  have  seen  the  dirty  mangy  wretch,  him- 
self abominable  as  sin,  daring  to  insinuate  that  all  others 
were  as  deceitful,  vile  and  filthy  as  himself.  This  is  when 
the  evil  has  come  to  its  full  grown  state.  Such  persons  then 
become  the  most  loathsome  creatures  in  all  society,  and  the 
most  despicable.  Who  is  there  that  respects  the  wretch  who 
has  no  respect  for  others  ?  whose  only  life  is  to  pull  other 
men's  characters  to  pieces,  and  whose  death  would  be  sure 
to  follow  the  universal  reign  of  truth  and  goodness. .  I  have 
seen,  however,  this  disease  before  it  has  broken  out  and 
assumed  its  basest  shape.  I  have  seen  men,  and  women  too — 
let  me  lay  a  stress  on  that  second  word,  for  there  is  a  stress 
sometimes  needed  there,  though  I  would  not  be  too  severe — 
men  and  women  who  seem  to  have  a  propensity  rather  to 
observe  that  which  is  evil  in  another  than  that  which  is  good. 
Now,  I  will  put  this  home  question.  My  friend,  it  is  all  very 
well  for  you  to  have  those  eyes  so  sharp,  and  to  wear  those 
magnifying  glasses  for  other  people,  but  "are  there  not  with 
you,  even  with  you,  sins  against  the  Lord  your  God  ?"  What 
about  your  own  life  ?  I  will  tell  you  something  about  it. 
Whatever  you  think  of  other  people  is  true  of  yourself;  that 
is  an  invariable  rule.  We  always  measure  other  people's 
corn  with  our  own  bushel,  and  if  you  think  you  find  other 
people's  corn  gritty,  the  dirt  was  originally  in  your  own. 
Depend  upon  it,  that  your  judgment  of  others  will  be  God's 
judgment  of  you,  for  with  what  measure  ye  mete  the  same 
shall  be  measured  to  you  again. 

Butcher. 

Then  see  the  butcher.     How  doth  the  beast  speak  to  him? 
He  sees  the  lamb  almost  lick  his  knife,  and  the  bullock  goes 


410     LIFE  AXD  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  II.  SPURGEON. 

unconsciously  to  the  slaughter.  How  might  he  think  every 
time  that  he  smites  the  unconscious  animal,  (who  knows 
nothing  of  death,)  of  his  own  doom?  Are  we  not,  all  of  us 
who  are  without  Christ,  fattening  for  the  slaughter?  Are  we 
not  more  foolish  than  the  bullock,  for  doth  not  wicked  man 
follow  his  executioner,  and  walk  after  his  own  destroyer 
unto  the  very  chambers  of  hell  ?  When  we  see  a  drunkard 
pursuing  his  drunkenness,  or  an  unchaste  man  running  in 
the  way  of  licentiousness,  is  he  not  as  an  ox  going  to  the 
slaughter,  until  a  dart  smite  him  through  the  liver?  Hath 
not  God  sharpened  his  knife  and  made  ready  his  ax,  that  the 
fatling  of  this  earth  may  be  killed,  when  He  shall  say  to  the 
fowls  of  the  air  and  the  beasts  of  the  field :  "  Behold,  I  have 
made  a  feast  of  vengeance  for  you,  and  ye  shall  feast  upon 
the  blood  of  the  slain,  and  make  yourselves  drunken  with 
the  streams  thereof!  "  Ay,  butcher,  there  is  a  lecture  for 
you  in  your  trade,  and  your  business  may  reproach  you. 

Builder. 

Are  you  busy  in  building  all  day  long,  laying  the  stone 
upon  its  fellow  and  the  mortar  in  its  crevice  ?  Then  remem- 
ber thou  art  building  for  eternity,  too.  Oh,  that  thou  mayest 
thyself  be  built  upon  a  good  foundation !  Oh,  that  thou 
mayest  build  thereon,  not  wood,  hay  or  stubble,  but  gold, 
and  silver,  and  precious  stones,  and  things  that  will  abide 
the  fire  !  Take  care,  man,  lest  thou  shouldest  be  God's  scaf- 
fold, lest  thou  shouldest  be  used  on  earth  to  be  a  scaffolding 
for  building  His  church,  and  when  His  church  is  built,  thou 
shouldest  be  cast  down  and  burned  up  with  fire  unquench- 
able. Take  heed  that  thou  art  built  upon  the  rock,  and  not 
upon  the  sand,  and  that  the  vermillion  cement  of  the  Savior's 
precious  blood  unites  thee  to  the  foundation  of  the  building, 
and  to  every  stone  thereof. 

The  Excuses  of  Sinners. 

But  one  cries  :  "I  shall  not  plead  guilty,  for  though  I  am 
well  aware  that  I  have  not  continued  'in  all  things  which  are 


SERMON  EXTRACTS.  411 

written  in  the  book  of  the  law,'  yet  I  have  done  the  best  I 
could."  That  is  a  lie — before  God  a  falsehood.  You  have  not ! 
Yon  have  not  done  the  best  you  could.  There  have  been  many 
occasions  upon  which  you  might  have  done  better.  Will 
that  young  man  dare  to  tell  me  that  he  is  doing  the  best  he 
can  now  ?  That  he  cannot  refrain  from  laughing  in  the  house 
of  God?  It  may  be  possible  that  it  is  hard  for  him  to  do  so, 
but  it  is  just  possible  he  could,  if  he  pleased,  refrain  from 
insulting  his  Maker  to  His  face.  Surely  we  have  none  of  us 
done  the  best  we  could.  At  every  period,  at  every  time, 
there  have  been  opportunities  of  escape  from  temptation. 
If  we  had  had  no  freedom  to  escape  from  sin,  there  might 
have  been  some  excuse  for  it;  but  there  have  been  turning 
points  in  our  history  when  we  might  have  decided  for  right 
or  for  wrong,  but  when  we  have  chosen  the  evil  and  have 
eschewed  the  good,  and  have  turned  into  that  path  which 
leadeth  unto  hell. 

Personal  Experience. 

First,  then,  here  is  what  they  are  to  tell.  It  is  to 
be  a  story  of  personal  experience.  "Go  home  to  thy  friends 
and  tell  them  how  great  things  the  Lord  has  done  for  thee, 
and  hath  had  compassion  on  thee."  You  are  not  to  repair 
to  your  houses  and  forthwith  begin  to  preach.  That  you  are 
not  commanded  to  do.  You  are  not  to  begin  to  take  up 
doctrinal  subjects,  and  expatiate  on  them,  and  endeavor  to 
bring  persons  to  your  peculiar  views  and  sentiments.  You 
are  not  to  go  home  with  sundry  doctrines  you  have  lately 
learned  and  try  to  teach  these.  At  least,  you  are  not  com- 
manded so  to  do.  You  may,  if  you  please,  and  none  shall 
hinder  you  ;  but  you  are  to  go  home  and  tell  not  what  you 
have  believed,  but  what  you  ha.vefe/t;  what  you  really  know 
to  be  your  own ;  not  what  great  things  you  have  read,  but 
what  great  things  the  Lord  hath  done  for  you;  not  alone 
what  you  have  seen  done  in  the  great  congregation,  and 
how  great  sinners  have  turned  to  God,  but  what  the  Lord 
has  done  for  yon.  And  mark  this  :  There  is  never  a  more 
interesting  story  than  that  whicli  a  man  tells  about  himself. 


412      LIFE  AND  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  II.  SPURGEON. 

Those  who  Do  Not  Profess  to  be  Godly. 

It  is  now  time  for  me  to  tell  the  openly  ungodly  what  is 
his  real  state.  You  have  been  more  than  a  little  proud  of 
your  honesty,  and  looking  down  upon  certain  professors 
of  religion,  you  have  said,  "Ah!  I  make  no  such  pretenses 
as  they  do  ;  I  am  honest,  I  am."  Friend,  you  cannot  have  a 
greater  abhorrence  of  hypocrites  than  I  have ;  if  you  can 
find  a  fair  chance  of  laughing  at  them,  pray  do  so.  If  by 
any  means  you  can  stick  pins  into  their  windbags,  and  let 
the  gas  of  their  profession  out,  pray  do  so.  I  try  to  do  a 
little  of  it  in  my  way ;  do  you  do  the  same  ?  You  and  I  are 
agreed  in  this,  I  hope,  in  heartily  hating  anything  like  sham 
and  falsehood  ;  but  if  you  begin  to  hold  your  head  up,  and 
think  yourself  so  very  superior  because  you  make  no  profes- 
sion, I  must  take  you  down  a  little  by  reminding  you  that  it 
is  no  credit  to  a  thief  that  he  makes  no  profession  of  being 
honest,  and  it  is  not  thought  to  be  exceedingly  honorable  to 
a  man  that  makes  no  profession  of  speaking  the  truth.  For 
the  fact  is,  that  a  man  who  does  not  profess  to  be  honest  is 
a  professional  thief;  and  he  who  does  not  claim  to  speak  the 
truth  is  an  acknowledged  liar.  Thus,  in  escaping  one  horn 
you  are  thrown  upon  another ;  you  miss  the  rock,  but  run 
upon  the  quicksand.  You  are  a  confessed  and  avowed  neg- 
lecter  of  God,  a  professed  despiser  of  the  great  salvation, 
an  acknowledged  disbeliever  in  the  Christ  of  God.  When 
our  Government  at  any  time  arrests  persons  suspected  of 
Fenianism,  they  have  no  difficulty  about  those  gentlemen 
who  glory  in  wearing  the  green  uniform  and  flaunting  the 
big  feather.  "Come  along,"  says  the  constable,  "you  are 
the  man,  for  you  wear  the  regimentals  of  a  rebel."  Even  so 
when  the  angel  of  Justice  arrests  the  enemies  of  the  Lord, 
he  will  have  no  difficulty  in  accusing  and  arresting  you,  for 
laying  his  hand  upon  your  shoulder,  he  will  say:  "You 
wear  the  regimentals  of  an  enemy  of  God  ;  you  plainly  and 
unblushingly  acknowledge  that  you  do  not  fear  God,  nor 
trust  in  His  salvation." 


SERMON  EXTRACTS.  413 

A  Faithful  Friend. 

Faithfulness  to  us  in  our  faults  is  a  certain  sign  of  fidelity 
in  a  friend.  You  may  depend  upon  that  man  who  will  tell 
you  of  your  faults  in  a  kind  and  considerate  manner.  Fawn- 
ing hypocrites,  insiduous  flatterers,  are  the  sweepings  and 
offal  of  friendship.  They  are  but  the  parasites  upon  that 
noble  tree.  But  true  friends  put  enough  trust  in  you  to  tell 
you  openly  of  you  faults.  Gie  me  for  a  friend  a  man  who 
will  speak  honestly  of  me  before  my  face  ;  who  will  not  tell 
first  one  neighbor,  and  then  another,  but  who  will  come 
straight  to  my  house  and  say  :  "Sir,  I  feel  there  is  such  and 
such  a  thing  in  you,  which,  as  my  brother,  I  must  tell  you  of." 
That  man  is  a  true  friend  ;  he  has  proved  himself  to  be  so; 
for  we  never  get  any  praise  for  telling  people  of  their  faults  ; 
we  rather  hazard  their  dislike  ;  a  man  will  sometimes  thank 
you  for  it,  but  he  does  not  often  like  you  any  the  better. 

Grit. 

It  is  said  by  an  old  writer,  that  in  the  olden  times  men 
used  to  take  care  of  their  houses,  but  now  the  houses  take 
care  of  the  men ;  that  they  used  to  eat  off  oaken  porringers, 
and  then  they  were  oaken  men ;  but  now  they  are  willow- 
men,  can  bend  any  how ;  they  are  earthenware  men,  which 
can  be  dashed  to  pieces.  Scarcely  in  business,  in  politics,  or 
in  religion,  have  you  got  a  man.  You  see  a  lot  of  things, 
which  are  called  men,  who  turn  the  way  the  wind  blows.  I 
pray  God  to  send  a  few  men  with  what  the  Americans  call 
"grit"  in  them;  men,  who  when  they  know  a  thing  to  be 
right,  will  not  turn  away,  or  turn  aside,  or  stop  ;  men  who 
will  persevere  all  the  more  because  there  are  difficulties  to 
meet  or  foes  to  encounter  ;  who  stand  all  the  moi  e  true  to  their 
Master  because  they  are  opposed ;  who,  the  more  they  are 
thrust  into  the  fire,  the  hotter  they  become ;  who,  just  like 
the  bow,  the  further  the  string  is  drawn  the  more  power- 
fully it  sends  forth  its  arrows,  and  so  the  more  they  are  trod- 
den upon,  the  more  mighty  will  they  become  in  the  cause  of 
truth  against  error. 


414      LIFE  AXD  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  //.  STURGEON. 

The  Human  Heart. 

If,  then,  the  all-seeing  eye  of  God  takes  in  at  one  glance 
the  wide  regions  of  death,  and  wide  they  are,  wide  enough 
to  startle  any  man  who  shall  seek  to  range  them  through — if  I 
say,  with  one  glance  God  seeth  death  and  seeth  hell  through, 
with  all  its  bottomless  depths,  with  all  its  boundlessness  of 
misery,  surely,  then,  he  is  quite  able  to  behold  all  the  actions 
of  the  little  thing  called  man's  heart.  Suppose  a  man  so 
wise  as  to  be  able  to  know  the  wants  of  a  nation  and  to 
remember  the  feelings  of  myriads  of  men,  you  cannot  sup- 
pose it  difficult  for  him  to  know  the  actions  of  his  own 
family  and  to  understand  the  emotions  of  his  own  house- 
hold. If  the  man  is  able  to  stretch  his  arm  over  a  great 
sphere,  and  to  say:  "lam  monarch  of  all  this,"  surely  he 
shall  be  able  to  control  the  less.  He  who  in  his  wisdom  can 
walk  through  centuries,  shall  not  say  that  he  is  ignorant  of 
the  history  of  a  year ;  he  who  can  dive  into  the  depths  of 
science,  and  understand  the  history  of  the  whole  world 
from  its  creation,  is  not  to  be  alarmed  by  some  small  riddle 
that  happens  at  his  own  door.  No,  the  God  who  seeth 
death  and  hell  seeth  our  hearts,  for  they  are  far  less 
extensive. 

Hypocrisy. 

This  age  is  full  of  shams.  Pretence  never  stood  in  so  emi- 
nent a  position  as  it  does  at  the  present  hour.  There  be  few, 
I  fear,  who  love  the  naked  truth  ;  we  can  scarce  endure  it  in 
our  houses  ;  you  would  scarcely  trade  with  a  man  who  abso- 
lutely stated  it.  If  you  walked  through  the  streets  of  Lon- 
don, you  might  imagine  that  all  the  shops  were  built  of 
marble,  and  that  all  the  doors  were  made  of  mahogany  and 
woods  of  the  rarest  kinds ;  and  yet  you  soon  discover  that 
there  is  scarce  a  piece  of  any  of  these  precious  fabrics  to  be 
found  anywhere,  but  that  everything  is  grained,  and  painted, 
and  varnished.  I  find  no  fault  with  this,  except  that  it  is  an 
outward  type  of  an  inward  evil  that  exists.  As  it  is  in  our 
streets,  so  it  is  everywhere;  graining,  painting  and  gilding 
are  at  an  enormous  premium.     Counterfeit  has  at  length 


SERMOX  EXTRACTS.  415 

attained  to  such  an  eminence  that  it  is  with  the  utmost  diffi- 
culty that  you  can  detect  it.  The  counterfeit  so  near  ap- 
proacheth  to  the  genuine,  that  the  eye  of  wisdom  itself  needs 
to  be  enlightened  before  she  can  discern  the  difference. 
Specially  is  this  the  case  in  religious  matters.  There  was 
once  an  age  of  intolerant  bigotry,  when  every  man  was 
weighed  in  the  balance,  and  if  he  was  not  precisely  up  to  the 
orthodox  standard  of  the  day,  the  fire  devoured  him  ;  but  in 
this  age  of  charity,  and  of  most  proper  charity,  we  are  very 
apt  to  allow  the  counterfeit  to  pass  current,  and  to  imagine 
that  outward  show  is  really  as  beneficial  as  inward  reality. 
If  ever  there  was  a  time  when  it  was  needful  to  say,  "Beware 
ye  of  the  leaven  of  the  Pharisees,  which  is  hypocrisy,"  it  is 
now.  The  minister  may  cease  to  preach  this  doctrine  in  the 
days  of  persecution ;  when  the  faggots  are  blazing,  and  when 
the  rack  is  in  full  operation,  few  men  will  be  hypocrites. 
These  are  the  keen  detectors  of  impostors ;  suffering,  and 
pain,  and  death,  for  Christ's  sake,  are  not  to  be  endured  by 
mere  pretenders.  But  in  this  silken  age,  when  to  be  religious 
is  to  be  respectable,  when  to  follow  Christ  is  to  be  honored, 
and  when  godliness  itself  has  become  gain,  it  is  doubly 
necessary  that  the  minister  should  cry  aloud,  and  lift  up  his 
voice  like  a  trumpet  against  this  prevailing  sin,  "The  leaven 
of  the  Pharisees,  which  is  sin." 

Absurdity  of  Indecision. 

And  is  it  not  true,  that  a  man  who  is  neither  one  thing  or 
another  is  in  a  most  absurd  position  ?  Let  him  go  among 
the  worldlings ;  they  laugh  under  their  sleeve,  and  say, 
"This  is  one  of  the  Exeter  Hall  saints,"  or,  "This  is  one  of 
the  elect  "  Let  him  go  among  Christian  people,  those  that 
are  saints,  and  they  say,  "How  a  man  can  be  so  inconsistent, 
how  he  can  come  into  our  midst  one  day,  and  the  next  be 
found  in  such  and  such  society,  we  cannot  tell."  Methinks 
even  the  devil  himself  must  laugh  at  such  a  man  in  scorn. 
"There,"  says  he,  "I  am  every  thing  that  is  bad  ;  I  do  some- 
times pretend  to  be  an  angel  of  light,  and  put  on  that  garb ; 
but  you  do  really  excel  me  in  every  respect,  for  I  do  it  to  get 


416      LIFE  AND  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  II.  SPURGEOX. 

something  by  it,  but  you  do  not  get  anything  by  it.  You  do 
not  have  the  pleasure  of  this  world,  and  you  do  not  have  the 
pleasures  of  religion  either ;  you  have  the  fears  of  religion 
without  its  hopes;  you  are  afraid  to  do  wrong,  and  yet  you 
have  no  hope  of  heaven  ;  you  have  the  duties  of  religion 
without  the  joys  ;  you  have  to  do  just  as  religious  people  do, 
and  yet  there  is  no  heart  in  the  matter  ;  you  have  to  sit  down 
and  see  the  table  all  spread  before  you,  and  then  you  have 
not  power  to  eat  a  single  morsel  of  the  precious  dainties  of 
the  gospel." 

The  Insincere  Man. 

Sometimes  Saul  was  among  prophets,  easily  turned  into  a 
prophet,  and  then  afterwards  among  the  witches ;  sometimes 
in  one  place  and  then  another,  and  insincere  in  everything. 
How  many  such  we  have  in  every  Christian  assembly  ;  men 
who  are  very  easily  molded.  Say  what  you  please  to  them, 
they  always  agree  with  you.  They  have  affectionate  disposi- 
tions, very  likely  a  tender  conscience ;  but  then  the  con- 
science is  so  remarkably  tender,  that  when  touched  it  seems 
to  give,  and  you  are  afraid  to  probe  deeper ;  it  heals  as  soon 
as  it  is  wounded.  I  think  I  used  the  very  singular  compari- 
son once  before,  which  I  must  use  again  ;  there  are  some 
men  who  seem  to  have  India-rubber  hearts.  If  you  do  but 
touch  them,  there  is  an  impression  made  at  once,  but  then  it 
is  of  no  use,  it  soon  restores  itself  to  its  original  character. 
You  may  press  them  whichever  way  you  wish,  they  are  so 
elastic  you  can  always  effect  your  purpose,  but  then  they  are 
not  fixed  in  character  and  soon  return  to  be  what  they  were 
before. 

Friendship. 

Cicero  has  well  said,  'Friendship  is  the  only  thing  in  the 
world  concerning  the  usefulness  of  which  all  mankind  are 
agreed."  Friendship  seems  as  necessary  an  element  of  a 
comfortable  existence  in  this  world  as  fire  and  water,  or 
even  air  itself.  A  man  may  drag  along  a  miserable  exist- 
ence in  proud  solitary  dignity,  but  his  life  is  scarce  life  ;  it  is 
nothing  but  an  existence,  the  tree  of  life  being  stripped  of 


SERMON  EXTRACTS.  417 

the  leaves  of  hope  and  the  fruits  of  joy.  He  who  would  be 
happy  here  must  have  friends;  and  he  who  would  be  happy 
hereafter,  must,  above  all  things,  find  a  friend  in  the  world 
to  come,  in  the  person  of  God,  the  father  of  His  people. 

Friendship,  however,  though  very  pleasing  and  exceed- 
ingly blessed,  has  been  the  cause  of  the  greatest  misery  to 
men  when  it  has  been  unworthy  and  unfaithful ;  for  just  in 
proportion  as  a  good  friend  is  sweet,  a  false  friend  is  full  of 
hi  terness.  "A  faithless  friend  is  sharper  than  an  adder's 
tooth."  It  is  sweet  to  repose  in  some  one;  but  O !  how 
bitter  to  have  that  support  snapped,  and  to  receive  a 
grievous  fall  as  the  effect  of  your  confidence.  Fidelity  is 
an  absolute  necessary  in  a  true  friend.  We  cannot  rejoice 
in  men  unless  they  will  stand  faithful  to  us.  Solomon  de- 
c'ares  that  "  there  is  a  friend  that  sticketh  closer  than  a. 
brother."  That  friend,  I  suppose,  he  never  found  in  the 
pomps  and  vanities  of  the  world.  He  had  tried  them  all, 
but  he  found  them  empty  ;  he  passed  through  all  thtir  joys, 
but  he  found  them  "vanity  of  vanities."  Poor  Savage  spoke 
from  sad  experience  when  he  said  : 

"You'll  find  the  friendship  of  the  world  a  show  ! 
Mere  outward  show  !  'Tis  like  the  harlot's  tears, 
The  statesman  promise,  a  false  patriot's  zeal, 
Full  of  fair  seeming,  but  delusion  all." 

And  so  for  the  most  part  they  are.  The  world's  friendship 
is  ever  brittle  trust  to  it,  and  you  have  trusted  a  robber,  rely 
upon  it.  and  you  have  leaned  upon  a  sham  ;  aye,  worse  than 
that,  upon  a  spear,  which  shall  pierce  you  to  the  soul  with 
agony ! 

Living  for  Self. 

There  is  a  minister;  when  he  first  began  his  ministry  he 
would  say,  "God  is  my  witness  ;  I  have  but  one  object ;  that 
I  may  free  my  skirts  from  the  blood  of  every  one  of  my 
hearers,  that  I  may  preach  the  gospel  faithfully  and  honor 
my  Master."  In  a  little  time,  tempted  by  Satan,  he  changed 
his  tone  and  talks  like  this  :  "I  must  keep  my  congregation 
up.  If  I  preach  such  hard  doctrine  they  won't  come.  Did 
not  one  of  the  newspapers  criticise  me,  and  did  not  some  of 


4i8      LIFE  AND  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  H.  SPURGEON. 

my  people  go  away  from  me  because  of  it  ?  I  must  mind 
what  I  am  at.  I  must  keep  this  thing  going.  I  must  look 
out  a  little  sharper  and  prune  my  speech  down.  I  must 
adopt  a  little  gentler  style,  or  preach  a  new-fashioned  doc- 
trine ;  for  I  must  keep  my  popularity  up.  What  is  to  become 
of  me  if  I  go  down  ?  People  will  say,  'Up  like  a  rocket, 
down  like  the  stick  ;'  and  then  shall  all  my  enemies  laugh." 
Ah,  when  once  a  man  begins  to  care  so  much  as  a  snap  of 
the  finger  about  the  world,  it  is  all  over  with  him.  If  he  can 
go  to  his  pulpit  and  say  :  "I  have  got  a  message  to  deliver  ; 
and  whether  they  will  hear  or  whether  they  will  not  hear,  I 
will  deliver  it  as  God  puts  it  into  my  mouth  ;  I  will  not 
change  the  dot  of  an  i,  or  the  cross  of  a  /,  for  the  biggest 
man  that  lives,  or  to  bring  in  the  mightiest  congregation  that 
ever  sat  at  a  minister's  feet"— that  man  is  mighty.  He  does 
not  let  human  judgments  move  him,  and  he  will  move  the 
world. 

Losses. 

Losses,,  too,  are  frequently  the  means  God  uses  to  fetch 
home  his  wandering  sheep  ;  like  fierce  dogs,  they  worry  the 
wanderers  back  to  the  shepherd.  There  is  no  making  lions 
tame  if  they  are  too  well  fed ;  they  must  be  brought  down 
from  their  great  strength,  and  their  stomachs  must  be  low- 
ered a  bit,  and  then  they  will  submit  to  the  tamer's  hand ; 
and  often  have  we  seen  the  Christian  rendered  obedient  to 
his  Lord's  will  by  straightness  of  bread  and  hard  labor. 
When  rich  and  increased  in  goods,  many  professors  carry 
their  heads  much  too  loftily,  and  speak  much  too  boastfully. 
Like  David,  they  boast:  "My  mountain  standeth  fast;  it 
shall  never  be  moved."  When  the  Christian  grovveth 
wealthy,  is  in  good  repute,  hath  good  health,  and  a  happy 
family,  he  too  often  admits  Mr.  Carnal  Security  to  feast  at 
his  table.  If  he  be  a  true  child  of  God,  there  is  a  rod  pre- 
paring for  him. 

True  Parentage  of  Love. 

But  how  is  this  to  be?     How  is  the  world  to  be  brought 
back?    How  is  it  to  be  restored?    We  answer,  the  reason 


SERMON  EXTRACTS.  419 

why  there  was  this  orign.il  harmony  between  earth  and 
heaven  was  because  there  was  love  between  them  twain,  and 
our  great  reason  for  hoping  that  there  shall  be  at  last  re- 
established an  undiscordant  harmony  between  heaven  and 
earth  is  simply  this,  that  God  hath  already  manifested  His 
love  towards  us,  and  that  in  return,  hearts  touched  by  His 
grace  do  even  now  love  Him ;  and  when  they  shall  be  mul- 
tiplied, and  love  re-established,  then  shall  harmony  be 
complete. 

Want  of  Observation. 

But  we  do  not  observe  God's  hand  as  much  as  we  should. 
Our  good  puritanic  forefathers,  when  it  rained,  used  to  say, 
that  God  had  unstopped  the  bottles  of  heaven.  When  it 
rains  nowadays,  we  think  the  clouds  have  become  condensed. 
If  they  had  a  field  of  hay  cut,  they  used  to  plead  of  the 
Lord  that  he  would  bid  the  sun  shine.  We,  perhaps,  are 
wiser,  as  we  think  ;  and  we  consider  it  hardly  worth  while  to 
pray  about  such  things,  thinking  they  will  come  in  the  course 
of  nature.  They  believed  that  God  was  in  every  storm  ; 
nay,  in  every  cloud  of  dust.  They  used  to  speak  of  a 
present  God  in  every  thing  ;  but  we  speak  of  such  things  as 
laws  of  nature,  as  if  laws  were  ever  anything,  except  there 
was  some  one  to  carry  them  out,  and  some  secret  power  to 
set  the  whole  machinery  in  motion.  We  do  not  get  our 
assurance,  because  we  do  not  observe  enough. 

Men  at  All  Times  Alike. 

The  passage  tells  us  nothing  about  the  statue  of  men's 
bodies,  but  as  far  as  they  are  spiritually  concerned  the  pho- 
tograph which  Elihu  took  is  the  portrait  of  many  of  those 
who  are  brought  to  Jesus  now.  Reading  the  passage  over, 
we  find  that  men  in  those  times  needed  converting  ;  for  they 
were  deaf  to  God's  voice ;  they  were  obstinate  in  evil 
purposes,  and  puffed  up  with  pride.  They  needed  chasten- 
ing to  arouse  them  to  thought,  and  required  sore  distress  to 
make  them  cry  out  for  mercy.    They  were  loth  to  say,  ''I 


420      LIFE  AND  WORK  OF  RE  V.  C.  II.  SPURGEON. 

have  sinned,"  and  were  not  at  all  inclined  to  prayer.  Noth- 
ing but  sharp  discipline  could  bring  them  to  their  senses, 
and  even  then  they  needed  to  be  born  again.  Men  in  those 
days  were  sinful,  and  yet  proud  ;  sinful  self  and  righteous 
self  were  both  in  power ;  it  was  one  part  of  conversion  to 
withdraw  them  from  their  purposes  of  sin,  and  another  part 
of  their  conversion  to  "hide  pride"  from  them.  Though 
they  were  sinful,  they  thought  that  they  were  righteous,  and 
though  they  were  condemned  by  the  law  of  God  they  still 
entertained  the  fond  hope  that  they  should  by  their  own 
merits  obtain  the  favor  of  the  Most  High.  They  were  then, 
as  they  are  now,  poor  as  poverty,  and  yet  proud  of  their 
wealth,  Publicans  in  sin,  and  yet  Pharisees  in  boasting. 

Henry  of  Navarre. 

Notice  the  blessing  :  "And  they  shall  be  to  me  a  people.'''' 
All  flesh  belongs  to  God  in  a  certain  sense.  All  men  are  His 
by  right  of  creation,  and  He  hath  an  infinite  sovereignty 
over  them.  But  He  looks  down  upon  the  sons  of  men,  and 
He  selects  some,  and  He  says  :  "These  shall  be  my  peculiar 
people."  When  the  King  of  Navarre  was  fighting  for  his 
throne,  the  writer,  who  hymns  the  battle,  says : 

"He  looked  upon  the  foemen,  and  his  glance  was  stern  and  high  ; 
He  looked  upon  his  people,  and  the  tear  was  in  his  eye." 

And  when  he  saw  some  of  the  French  in  arms  against  him — 

"Then  out  spoke  gentle  Henry,  '  No  Frenchman  is  my  foe  ; 
Down,  down  with  every  foreigner,  but  let  your  brethren  go.'  " 

The  king  had  an  eye  to  his  people  even  when  they  were  in 
rebellion  against  him,  and  he  had  a  different  thought  towards 
them  from  what  he  had  towards  others.  "Let  them  go,"  he 
seemed  to  say,  "they  are  my  people."  So,  mark  you,  in  the 
great  battles  of  strifes  of  this  world,  when  God  lets  loose 
the  dread  artillery  of  heaven,  His  glance  is  stern  upon  His 
enemies,  but  the  tear  is  in  His  eye  towards  His  people.  He 
is  always  tender  towards  them.  "Spare  my  people,"  saith 
He,  and  the  angels  interpose  lest  those  chosen  ones  should 
dash  their  feet  against  a  stone. 


CHEQUE  BOOK.  421 


CHEQUE    BOOK. 


"And  I  will  put  enmity  between  thee  and  the  woman,  and 
between  thy  seed  and  her  seed  ;  it  shall  bruise  thy  head, 
and  thou  shalt  bruise  his  heel." — Gen.  iii  :    [5. 

This  is  the  first  promise  to  fallen  man.  It  eon- 
tains  the  whole  gospel,  and  the  essenee  of  the 
covenant  of  grace.  It  has  been  in  great  measure 
fulfilled.  The  seed  of  the  woman,  even  our  Lord 
Jesus,  was  bruised  in  his  heel,  and  a  terrible 
bruising  it  was.  How  terrible  will  be  the  final 
bruising  of  the  serpent's  head!  This  was  virtually 
done  when  Jesus  took  away  sin,  vanquished  death, 
and  broke  the  power  of  Satan;  but  it  awaits  a  still 
fuller  accomplishment  at  our  Lord's  second  advent 
and  in  the  day  of  judgment.  To  us  the  promise 
stands  as  prophecy  that  we  shall  be  afflicted  by 
the  powers  of  evil  in  our  lower  nature,  and  thus 
bruised  in  our  heel ;  but  we  shall  triumph  in 
Christ  who  sets  his  foot  on  the  old  serpent's  head. 
Throughout  this  year  we  may  have  to  learn  the 
first  part  of  this  promise  by  experience,  through 
the   temptations  of   the    devil,  and   the    unkindness 


422      LIFE  AND  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  II.  SPURGEON. 

of  the  ungodly,  who  are  his  seed.  They  may  so 
bruise  us  that  we  may  limp  with  our  sore  heel ;  but 
let  us  grasp  the  second  part  of  the  text,  and  we 
shall  not  be  dismayed.  By  faith  let  us  rejoice  that 
we  shall  still  reign  m  Christ  Jesus,  the  woman's 
seed. 

"When  thou  shalt  make  his  soul  an  offering  for  sin,  he 
shall  see  his  seed." — Isa  liii :  10 

Our  Lord  Jesus  has  not  died  in  vain.  His  death 
was  sacrificial  ;  he  died  as  our  substitute,  because 
death  was  the  penalty  of  our  sins,  and  because 
his  substitution  was  accepted  of  God.  He  has 
saved  those  from  whom  he  made  his  soul  a  sacri- 
fice. By  death  he  became  Tike  the  corn  of  wheat, 
which  bringeth  forth  much  fruit.  There  must  be 
a  succession  of  children  to  Jesus  ;  he  is  "the 
Father  of  the  everlasting  age."  He  shall  say, 
"Behold,  I  and  the  children  whom  thou  hast  given 
me." 

A  man  is  honored  in  his  sons,  and  Jesus  hath 
his  quiver  full  of  these  arrows  of  the  mighty.  A 
man  is  represented  in  his  children,  and  so  is  the 
Christ  in  Christians.  In  his  seed  a  man's  life 
seems  to  be  prolonged  and  extended  ;  and  so  is  the 
life  of  Jesus  continued  in  believers. 

Jesus  lives,  for  he   sees  his  seed.      He  fixes  his 


CHEQUE  BOOK.  423 

eye  on  us,  he  delights  in  us,  he  recognizes  us  in 
the  fruit  of  his  soul  travail.  Let  us  be  glad  that 
our  Lord  does  not  fail  to  enjoy  the  result  of  his 
dread  sacrifice,  and  that  he  will  never  cease  to 
feast  his  eyes  upon  the  harvest  of  his  death. 
Those  eyes  which  once  wept  for  us,  are  now 
viewing  us  with  pleasure.  Yes,  he  looks  upon 
those  who  are  looking  unto  him.  Our  eyes  meet  ! 
What  a  joy  is  this! 

"When  I  see  the  blood,  I  will  pass  over  you." — Ex.  xii :  13. 

My  own  sight  of  the  precious  blood  is  for  my 
comfort;  but  it  is  the  Lord's  sight  of  it  which 
secures  my  safety.  Even  when  I  am  unable  to 
behold  it,  the  Lord  looks  at  it,  and  passes  over  me 
because  of  it.  If  I  am  not  so  much  at  ease  as  I 
ought  to  be,  because  my  faith  is  dim,  yet  I  am 
equally  safe,  because  the  Lord's  eye  is  not  dim, 
and  He  sees  the  blood  of  the  great  sacrifice  with 
steady  gaze.     What  joy  is  this! 

The  Lord  sees  the  deep  inner  meaning,  the  infi- 
nite fulness  of  all  that  is  meant  by  the  death  of 
His  dear  Son.  He  sees  it  with  restful  memory  of 
justice  satisfied,  and  all  His  matchless  attributes 
glorified.  He  beheld  creation  m  its  progress,  and 
said:   "  It  is  very  good;  "  but  what  does  He  say  of 


424      LIFE  AND  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  II.  SPUR  GEO  X. 

redemption  in  its  completeness?  What  does  He 
say  of  the  obedience  even  unto  death  of  His  well- 
beloved  Son?  None  can  tell  His  delight  in  Jesus, 
His  rest  in  the  sweet  Savior  which  Jesus  presented 
when  He  offered  Himself  without  spot  unto  God. 
Now  rest  we  m  calm  security.  We  have  God's 
sacrifice  and  God's  word  to  create  in  us  a  sense  of 
perfect  security.  He  will,  He  must,  pass  over  us, 
because  He  spared  not  our  glorious  substitute. 
Justice  joins  hands  with  love  to  provide  everlast- 
ing salvation  for  all  the  blood-besprinkled  ones. 

"If  ye  abide  in  me,  and  my  words  abide  in  you,  ye  shall 
ask  what  ye  will,  and  it  shall  be  done  unto  you. "-John  xv:  7. 

Of  necessity  we  must  be  in  Christ  to  live  unto 

him,  and  we  must  abide  in  him  to  be  able  to  claim 

the  largesse  of  this  promise   from   him.      To   abide 

in  Jesus  is  never  to   quit  him   for  another  love,  or 

another   object;  but    to    remain   in   living,    lovmg, 

conscious,  willing  union  with  him.      The  branch  is 

not  only  ever  near  the  stem,  but  ever  receiving  life 

and  fruitfulness  from  it.      All  true  believers  abide 

in  Christ  in  a  sense;  but  there  is  a  higher  meaning 

and  this  we  must   know  before   we  gain  unlimited 

power  at  the  throne.      "Ask  what  ye  will"  is  for 

Enochs  who  walk  with  God,  for  Johns  who  lie  in 

the   Lord's   bosom,    for    those    whose    union    with 

Christ  leads  to  constant  communion. 


CHEQUE  BOOK.  425 

The  heart  must  remain  in  love;  the  mind  must 
be  rooted  in  faith ;  the  hope  must  be  cemented  to 
the  Word ;  the  whole  man  must  be  joined  unto  the 
Lord,  or  else  it  would  be  dangerous  to  trust  us  with 
power  in  prayer.  The  carte  blanclie  can  only  be 
given  to  one  whose  very  life  is  "  Not  I,  but  Christ 
liveth  in  me."  O  you  who  break  your  fellowship, 
what  power  you  lose!  If  you  would  be  mighty  in 
your  pleadings,  the  Lord  himself  must  abide  in 
you,  and  you  in  him. 

"And  of  Zebulun  he  said,  Rejoice,  Zebulun,  in  thy  going 
out." — Deut.  xxxLi:   18. 

The  blessings  of  the  tribes  are  ours ;  for  we  are 
the  true  Israel  who  worship  God  in  the  spirit,  and 
have  no  confidence  in  the  flesh.  Zebulun  is  to 
rejoice  because  Jehovah  will  bless  his  "going  out;" 
we  also  see  a  promise  for  ourselves  lying  latent  in 
this  benediction.  When  we  go  out  we  will  look 
out  for  occasions  of  joy. 

We  go  out  to  travel,  and  the  providence  of  God 
is  our  convoy.  We  go  out  to  emigrate,  and  the 
Lord  is  with  us  both  on  land  and  sea.  We  go  out 
as  missionaries,  and  Jesus  saith,  "Lo,  I  am  with 
you  unto  the  end  of  the  world."  We  go  out  day 
by  day  to  our  labor,  and  we  may  do  so  with 
pleasure,  for  God  will  be  with  us  from  morn  till  eve. 


426     LIFE  AND  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  II.  SPURGEON. 

A  fear  sometimes  creeps  over  us  when  starting, 
for  we  know  not  what  we  may  meet  with ;  but  this 
blessing  may  serve  us  right  well  as  a  word  of  good 
cheer.  As  we  pack  up  for  moving,  let  us  put  this 
verse  into  our  traveling  trunk;  let  us  drop  it  into 
our  hearts,  and  keep  it  there;  yea,  let  us  lay  it  on 
our  tongue  to  make  us  sing.  Let  us  weigh  anchor 
with  a  song,  or  jump  into  the  carriage  with  a 
psalm.  Let  us  belong  to  the  rejoicing  tribe,  and 
in  our  every  movement  praise  the  Lord  with  joyful 
hearts. 

"Be  careful  for  nothing ;  but  in  everything  by  prayer  and 
supplication  with  thanksgiving  let  your  requests  be  made 
known  unto  God.  And  the  peace  of  God,  which  passeth  all 
understanding,  shall  keep  your  hearts  and  minds  through 
Christ  Jesus." — Phil,  iv  :  6,  7. 

No  care,  but  all  prayer.      No  anxiety,  but  much 

joyful  communion  with  God.      Carry  your  desires 

to    the   Lord    of    your  life,   the   guardian   of    your 

soul.      Go  to  him  with  two  portions  of  prayer,  and 

one  of  fragrant  praise.     Do   not  pray  doubtfully, 

but    thankfully.     Consider    that    you    have    your 

petitions,  and,  therefore,  thank  God  for  his  Grace. 

He   is  giving  vou   grace,  give   him  thanks.      Hide 

nothing.     Allow   no  want  to  be  rankling  in  your 

bosom;   "make  known  your  requests."     Run  not 

to    man.     Go    only    to    your    God,  the    Father  of 

Jesus,  who  loves  you  in  him. 


CHEQUE  BOOK.  427 

This  shall  bring  you  God's  own  peace.  You 
shall  not  be  able  to  understand  the  peace  which 
you  shall  enjoy.  It  will  enfold  you  in  its  iniinite 
embrace.  Heart  and  mind,  through  Christ  Jesus, 
shall  be  steeped  in  a  sea  of  rest.  Come  life  or 
death,  poverty,  pain,  slander,  you  shall  dwell  in 
Jesus  above  every  ruffling  wind  or  darkening 
cloud.     Will  you  not  obey  this  dear  command  ? 

Yes,  Lord,  I  do  believe  thee ;  but  I  beseech  thee 
help  mine  unbelief. 

"When  a  man's  ways  please  the  Lord,  He  maketh  even  his 
enemies  to  be  at  peace  with  him." — Prov.  xvi :  7. 

I  must  see  that  my  ways  please  the  Lord.    Even 

then  I  shall  have  enemies:  and,  perhaps,  all  the 

more   certainly  because   I    endeavored   to   do   that 

which  is  right.      But  what  a  promise  this  is !     The 

Lord  will  make  the  wrath  of  men  to  praise  Him, 

and  abate  it  so  that  it  shall  not  distress  me.     He 

can   constrain   an   enemy   to   desist  from   harming 

me,  even  though  he  has  a  mind  to  do  so.     This 

He  did  with  Laban,  who  pursued  Jacob,  but  did 

not  dare  touch  him;  or  he  can  subdue  the  wrath 

of  the  enemy,  and  make  him  friendly,  as  He  did 

with  Esau,  who  met  Jacob  in  a  brotherly  manner, 

though  Jacob   had   dreaded   that  he   would    smite 

him   and   his   familv  with   the    sword.     The  Lord 


42S     LIFE  AND  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  II.  SPURGEON. 

can  also  convert  a  furious  adversary  into  a  brother 
in  Christ,  and  a  fellow-worker,  as  he  did  Saul  of 
Tarsus.  Oh,  that  he  would  do  this  in  every  case 
where  a  persecuting  spirit  appears ! 

Happy  is  the  man  whose  enemies  are  made  to 
be  to  him  what  the  lions  were  to  Daniel  in  the 
den,  quiet  and  companionable!  When  I  meet 
death,  who  is  called  the  last  enemy,  I  pray  that  I 
may  be  at  peace.  Only  let  my  great  care  be  to 
please  the  Lord  in  all  things.  Oh,  for  faith  and 
holiness;  for  these  are  a  pleasure  unto  the  Most 
High! 

"The  Lord  thy  God  will  turn  thy  captivity. " — Deut. 
xxx  :  3. 

God's  own  people  may  sell  themselves  into  cap- 
tivity by  sin.  A  very  bitter  fruit  is  this,  of  an 
exceeding  bitter  root.  What  a  bondage  it  is  when 
the  Child  of  God  is  sold  under  sin,  held  in  chains 
by  Satan,  deprived  of  his  liberty,  robbed  of  his 
power  in  prayer  and  his  delight  in  the  Lord !  Let 
us  watch  that  we  come  not  into  such  bondage;  but 
if  this  has  already  happened  to  us,  let  us  by  no 
means  despair. 

But  we  cannot  be  held  in  slavery  forever.  The 
Lord  Jesus  has  paid  too  high  a  price  for  our  re- 
demption to  leave  us  in  the  enemy's  hand.     The 


CHEQUE  BOOK.  429 

way  to  freedom  is  "Return  unto  the  Lord  thy 
God."  Where  we  first  found  salvation  we  shall 
find  it  again.  At  the  foot  of  Christ's  cross,  con- 
fessing sin,  we  shall  find  pardon  and  deliverance. 
Moreover,  the  Lord  will  have  us  obey  his  voice 
according  to  all  that  he  has  commanded  us,  and 
we  must  do  this  with  all  our  heart,  and  all  our  soul 
and  then  our  captivity  shall  end. 

Often  depression  of  spirit  and  great  misery  of 
soul  are  removed  as  soon  as  we  quit  our  idols  and 
bow  ourselves  to  obedience  before  the  living  God. 
We  need  not  be  captives.  We  may  return  to  Zion's 
citizenship,  and  that  speedily.  Lord,  turn  our 
captivity ! 

"For  he  shall  deliver  the  needy  when  he  crieth  ;  the  poor 
also,  and  him  that  hath  no  helper." — Ps.  lxxii :  12. 

The  needy  cries  ;  what  else  can  he  do?  His 
cry  is  heard  of  God;  what  else  need  he  do?  Let 
the  needy  reader  take  to  crying  at  once,  for  this 
will  be  his  wisdom.  Do  not  cry  in  the  ears  of 
friends,  for  even  if  they  can  help  you,  it  is  only 
because  the  Lord- enables  them.  The  nearest  way 
is  to  go  straight  to  God,  and  let  your  cry  come  up 
before  him.  Straight-forward  makes  the  best  run- 
ner; run  to  the  Lord,  and  not  to  secondary  causes. 

"Alas!"  you  cry,  "I  have  no  friend  or  helper." 


430      LIFE  AXD  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  H.  SPURGEOX. 

So  much  the  better;  you  can  rely  upon  God  in 
both  capacities — as  without  supplies  and  without 
helpers.  Make  your  double  need  your  double 
plea.  Even  for  temporal  mercies  you  may  wait 
upon  God,  for  he  careth  for  his  children  in  these 
temporary  concerns.  As  for  spiritual  necessities, 
which  are  the  heaviest  of  all,  the  Lord  will  hear 
your  cry,  and  will  deliver  you  and  supply  you. 

O,  poor  friend,  try  your  rich  God.  O,  helpless 
one,  lean  on  his  help.  He  has  never  failed  me, 
and  I  am  sure  he  will  never  fail  you.  Come  as  a 
beggar,  and  God  will  not  refuse  your  help.  Come 
with  no  plea  but  his  grace.  Jesus  is  King,  will  he 
let  you  perish  of  want?  What!  Did  you  forget 
this? 

"They  shall  feed  and  lie  down,  and  none  shall  make  them 
afraid." — Zeph.  iii :  13. 

Yesterday  we  thought  of  the  afflicted  and  poor 
people  whom  the  Lord  left  to  be  a  living  seed  in  a 
dead  world.  The  prophet  says  of  such  that  they 
shall  not  work  inquity  nor  speak  lies.  So  that 
while  they  have  neither  rank  nor  riches  to  guard 
them,  they  were  also  quite  unable  to  use  those 
weapons  in  which  the  wicked  place  so  much  reli- 
ance ;  they  could  neither  defend  themselves  by  sin 
nor  by  subtlety. 


CHEQUE  BOOK.  431 

What  then?  Would  they  be  destroyed?  By  no 
means.  They  would  both  feed  and  'rest,  and  be 
not  merely  free  from  danger,  but  even  quite  from 
fear  and  evil.  Sheep  are  very  feeble  creatures, 
and  wolves  are  terrible  enemies;  yet,  at  this  hour, 
sheep  are  more  numerous  than  wolves,  and  the 
cause  of  the  sheep  are  always  winning,  while  the 
cause  of  the  wolves  is  always  declining.  One  clay 
flocks  of  sheep  will  cover  the  plains,  and  not  a 
wolf  will  be  left.  The  fact  is  that  sheep  have  a 
shepherd,  and  this  gives  them  provender,  protec- 
tection  and  peace.  ''None" — which  means  not 
one,  whether  in  human  or  diabolical  form — "shall 
make  them  afraid."  Who  shall  terrify  the  Lord's 
flock  when  he  is  near  ?  We  lie  down  in  green 
pastures,  for  Jesus  himself  is  food  and  rest  to  our 
souls. 

"And  the  Lord  looked  upon  him  and  said,  Go  in  this  thy 
might,  and  thou  shalt  save  Israel  from  the  hand  of  the  Mid- 
ianites  ;  have  not  I  sent  thee  ?  " — Judges  vi :  14. 

What  a  look  was  that  which  the  Lord  gave  to 
Gideon?  He  looked  him  out  of  his  discourage- 
ments into  holy  bravery.  If  our  look  to  the  Lord 
saves  us,  what  will  not  his  look  at  us  do?  Lord, 
look  on  me  this  day,  and  nerve  me  for  its  duties 
and  conflicts. 


432      LIFE  AND  WORK'  OF  REV.  C.  H.  SPURGEON. 

What  a  word  was  this  which  Jehovah  spake  to 
Gideon!  ''Go."  He  must  not  hesitate.  He  might 
have  answered,  "What,  go  in  all  this  weakness?" 
But  the  Lord  put  that  word  out  of  court  by  saying, 
"Go  in  this  thy  might."  The  Lord  had  looked 
might  into  him,  and  he  had  now  nothing  to  do  but 
to  use  it,  and  save  Israel  by  smiting  the  Midianites. 
It  may  be  that  the  Lord  has  more  to  do  by  me  than 
I  ever  dreamed  of.  If  he  has  looked  upon  me  he 
has  made  me  strong.  Let  me  by  faith  exercise  the 
power  with  which  he  has  entrusted  me.  He  never 
bids  me  "idle  away  my  time  in  this  my  might." 
Far  from  ;t.  I  must  "go,"  because  he  strengthens 
me. 

What  a  question  is  that  which  the  Lord  puts  to 
me  even  as  he  put  it  to  Gideon!  "Have  not  I  sent 
thee?"  Yes,  Lord,  thou  has  sent  me,  and  I  will 
go  in  thy  strength.  At  thy  command  I  go,  and 
going,  I  am  assured  that  thou  wilt  conquer  by  me. 

"  I  will  save  her  that  halteth." — Zeph.  iii  :  19. 

There  are  plenty  of  these  lame  ones,  both  male 
and  female.  You  may  meet  "her  that  halteth" 
twenty  times  in  an  hour.  They  are  in  the  right 
road,  and  exceedingly  anxious  to  run  in  it  with 
diligence,  but  they   are  lame,   and   make   a  sorry 


CHEQUE  BOOK.  433 

walk  of  it.  On  the  heavenly  road  there  are  so 
man)-  cripples.  It  may  be  that  they  say  in  their 
hearts:  "What  will  become  of  us?  Sin  will  over- 
take us.  Satan  will  throw  us  down.  Ready  to 
halt  is  our  name  and  our  nature ;  the  Lord  can 
never  make  good  soldiers  of  us,  nor  even  nimble 
messengers  to  go  on  His  errands.  Well,  well,  He 
will  save  us,  and  that  is  no  small  thing.  He  says: 
'I  will  save  her  that  halteth.'  In  saving  us  He 
will  greatly  glorify  Himself.  Everybody  will  ask: 
'  How  'came  this  lame  woman  to  run  the  race  and 
win  the  crown  ? '  And  then  the  praise  will  all  be 
given  to  almighty  grace." 

Lord,  though  I  halt  in  faith,  in  prayer,  in  praise, 
in  service,  and  in  patience,  save  me,  I  beseech 
thee.  Only  Thou  canst  save  such  a  cripple  as  I 
am.  Lord,  let  me  not  perish  because  I  am  among 
the  hindmost,  but  gather  up  by  Thy  grace  the 
slowest  of  Thy  pilgrims — even  me.  Behold  he 
hath  said  it  shall  be  so;  and  therefore,  like  Jacob, 
prevailing  in  prayer,  I  go  forward  though  my 
sinew  be  shrunk. 

"BuL  if  the  priest  buy  any  soul  with  his  money,  he  shall 
eat  of  it,  and  he  that  is  born  in  his  house:  they  shall  eat  of 
his  meat. — Liv.  xxii :  11. 

Strangers,    sojourners,    and    servants  upon  hire 

were  not  to  eat  of  holy  things.      It  is  so  in  spiritual 


434      LIFE  AND  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  If.  SPURGEON. 

matters  still.  But  classes  were  free  at  the  sacred 
table,  those  who  were  bonglit  with  the  priest's 
money,  and  those  who  were  born  into  the  priest's 
house.  Bought  and  born,  these  were  the  two 
indisputable  proofs  of  a  right  to  holy  things. 

Bought.  Our  great  High  Priest  has  bought  with 
a  price  all  those  who  put  their  trust  in  him.  They 
are  his  absolute  property — altogether  the  Lord's. 
Not  for  what  they  are  in  themselves,  but  for  their 
owner's  sake  they  are  admitted  unto  the  same 
privileges  which  he  himself  enjoys,  and  "they 
shall  eat  of  his  meat."  He  has  meat  to  eat  which 
worldlings  know  not  of.  "Because  ye  belong  to 
Christ,"  therefore,  shall  ye  share  with  your  Lord. 

Bom.  This  is  an  equally  sure  way  to  privilege; 
if  born  in  the  priest's  house  we  take  our  place  with 
the  rest  of  the  family.  Regeneration  makes  us 
fellow-heirs,  and  of  the  same  body  ;  and,  there- 
fore, the  peace,  the  joy,  the  glory,  which  the 
Father  has  given  to  Christ,  Christ  has  given  to  us. 
Redemption  and  regeneration  have  given  us  a 
double  claim  to  the  divine  permit  of  this  promise. 

"For  his  anger  endureth  but  a  moment;  in  this  favor  is 
life  ;  weeping  may  endure  for  a  night,  but  joy  cometh  in  the 
morning." — Ps.  xxx  :  5. 

A  moment  under  our  Father's  anger  seems  very- 
long,  and  yet  it  is  but  a  moment  after  all.     If  we 


CHEQUE   BOOK.  435 

grieve  his  spirit  we  cannot  look  for  his  smile ;  but 
he  is  a  God  ready  to  pardon,  and  he  soon  puts 
aside  all  remembrance  of  our  faults.  When  we 
faint  and  are  ready  to  die  because  of  his  frown, 
his  favor  puts  new  life  into  us. 

This  verse  has  another  note  of  the  semi-quaver 
kind.  Our  weeping  night  soon  turns  into  joyous 
day.  Brevity  is  the  mark  of  mercy  in  the  hour  of 
the  chastisement  of  believers.  The  Lord  loves 
not  to  use  the  rod  on  his  chosen ;  he  gives  a  blow 
or  two,  and  all  is  over;  yea,  and  the  life  and  the 
joy  which  follow  the  anger  and  the  weeping,  more 
than  make  amends  for  the  salutary  sorrow. 

Come,  my  heart,  begin  thy  hallelujahs!  Weep 
not  all  through  the  night,  but  wipe  thine  eyes  in 
anticipation  of  the  morning.  These  tears  are  dews 
which  mean  us  as  much  good  as  the  sunbeams  of 
the  morrow.     Tears  clear  the  eyes  for  the  sight  of 

God  in  His  grace;  and  make  the  vision  of  His 
favor  more  precious.  A  night  of  sorrow  supplies 
those  shades  of  the  picture  by  which  the  high 
lights  are  brought  out  with  distinctness.  All  is 
well. 


436      LIFE  AND  WORK'  OF  RE}'.  C.  If.  SPURGEON. 


SALT-CELLARS; 

A  Collection  of  Proverbs,  Together  With 
Homely  Notes  Thereon.  In  two  Vol- 
umes— A  to  L  and  M  to  Z. 


"These  three  things   go  to  the   making  of  a  proverb: 
shortness,  sense  and  salt." 


SALT-CELLARS. 

A  bad  dog  sees  not  the  thief. 

We  have  plenty  of  bad  dogs  nowadays.  Ministers 
will  not  see  the  error  which  abounds  ;  statesmen  wink 
hard  at  vice ;  and  religious  people  sleep  while  satan 
plunders  the  church. 

A  bad  dog  may  get  a  good  bone. 

Often  very  unworthy  men  gain  fortunes,  offices 
and  honors.  This  world  is  not  the  place  of  rewards 
and  punishments,  and  so  it  happens  that  satan's  bul- 
locks often  feed  in  the  fattest  pastures. 

A  bad  motive  makes  a  good  action  bad. 

What  appears  good  enough  in  itself  has  often  been 
polluted  by  the  motive.  It  might  be  well  to  kiss  the 
Lord  Jesus,  but  the  motive  of  Judas  made  a  kiss 
a  crime. 


SALT-CELLARS.  '  437 

A  bad  padlock  invites  a  picklock. 

Carelessness  on  the  part  of  owners  may  prove  a 
temptation  to  servants  and  others.  We  should  not  put 
theft  into  their  minds  by  want  of  proper  care. 

A  bird  that  cannot  be  shot  may  be  snared. 

Dispositions  vary,  and  satan  knows  how  to  ht  his 
temptations  to  our  temperament.  He  who  will  not  fall 
into  open  sin  may  be  seduced  into  secret  unbelief  and 
pride. 

A  bitten  child  is  afraid  of  a  stuffed  dog. 

The  same  as  "a  burnt  child  dreads  the  fire,"  or  "a 
scalded  cat  dreads  cold  water."  It  were  well  if  more 
who  have  suffered  from  sin  would  have  a  solemn  fear 
of  it,  and  henceforth  shun  it. 

A  blustering  fellow  is  always  a  coward. 

This  observation  has  come  down  through  long  ages 
of  observers.  It  is  a  rule  to  which  there  are  very  few 
exceptions.     Mr.  Bluster  is  soon  in  a  fluster. 

A  braying  donkey  may  spoil  a  grazing  donkey's 

business. 

A  noisy  person  may  prevent  a  neighbor  from  fol- 
lowing his  work  with  success,  and  may  even  cause  a 
prejudice  against  others  in  the  same  line  who  are  quiet 
and  unassuming. 

A  cat  must  not  always  keep  her  back  up. 

If  now  and  then  a  man  has  to  assert  himself,  and 
be  on  the  warpath,  let  him  come  to  his  usual  level  as 
soon  as  possible. 

A  cat  on  hot  bricks  is  all  in  a  hurry. 

And  so  is  a  person  when  he  is  out  of  his  element. 
Many  a  man  at  church,  or  in  court,  or  at  a  prayer- 
meeting,  or  by  a  dying  bed,  is  very  much  in  this  un- 
happy condition. 


43$      LIFE  AND  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  H.  SPURGEON. 

A  clever  head  is  all  the  better  for  a  close  mouth. 

Then  the  man  will  act  rather  than  gossip  ;  and  he 
will  not  disclose  his  plans  before  the  proper  time  for 
carrying  them  out. 

A  cloudy  morning  brings  a  clear  day. 

We  may  begin  a  work  with  trouble,  and  yet  the 
business  may  bring  us  great  joy  as  it  proceeds. 

A  cow's  tail  droops  down,  but  never  drops  off. 

Many  institutions  look  as  if  they  would  fall,  but 
they  have  not  done  so  yet,  and  they  will  not  do  so  for 
many  a  year. 

A  cracked  bell  should  not  be  rung. 

It  would  be  well  if  we  could  keep  foolish  people 
quiet,  but  who  can?  If  they  were  not  cracked  you 
might  quiet  them,  but  they  have  not  wit  enough  to 
hold  their  tongues. 

A  creaking  door  hangs  long  on  its  hinges. 

Persons  who  are  usually  ill  often  live  on  for  many 
years,  while  robust  persons  die  suddenly.  This  may 
comfort  the  invalid,  and  be  a  warning  to  the  strong. 

A    donkey   may   grow,   but  he   will   never  be   an 

elephant. 

It  is  not  in  some  men,  advance  as  they  may,  to 
grow  out  of  their  natural  folly,  and  arrive  at  any 
measure  of  sagacity. 

A  drowning  man  will  catch  at  razors. 

A  man  who  is  losing  money  will  gamble,  or  specu- 
late, or  try  the  most  shameful  trick  to  save  himself. 
Thus  he  hurts  himself  still  more,  and  makes  his  ruin 
and  wretchedness  sure. 


SALT-CELLARS.  439 

A  fair  face  may  be  a  foul  bargain. 

Young  men  should  not  be  carried  away  with  mere 
beauty,  but  look  to  character  and  disposition.  One 
who  marries  a  woman  for  her  beauty  alone  is  as  foolish 
as  the  man  who  ate  a  bird  because  it  sang  so  sweetly. 

A  fog  cannot  be  driven  away  by  a  fan. 

Trifling  acts  cannot  accomplish  great  results. 

A  fool  calls  others  fools. 

He  ought  to  be  a  judge  of  fools  since  he  is  in  that 
line  himself.  Perhaps  he  unconsciously  hopes  that  he 
may  turn  upon  others  the  contempt  which  he  half  sus- 
pects is  due  to  himself. 

A  fool  is  a  man  who  is  wise  too  late. 

This  is  a  sententious  and  instructive  definition. 
Alas,  how  many  are  in  that  condition  on  a  dying  bed  ! 

A  fool  in  his  own  house  will  not  be  wise  in  mine. 

If  he  does  not  know  his  own  business  he  will  not 
be  likely  to  know  mine  one-half  so  well.  It  is  idle  to 
seek  or  accept  counsel  from  one  who  has  already  failed 
in  the  management  of  his  own  concerns. 

A  fool's  gun  is  soon  fired. 

He  has  little  to  say,  but  he  is  in  a  desperate  hurry 
to  say  it.  In  olden  times  they  said  "a  fool's  bolt  is 
soon  shot." 

A  foolish  man  diligently  advertises  his  own  folly. 

He  will  talk,  and  talk  most  upon  that  which  he 
should  never  mention  for  his  credit's  sake. 

A  good  book  is  the  best  companion. 

It  will  speak  or  be  quiet,  and  it  neither  talks  non- 
sense nor  perpetrates  folly. 


44u      LIFE  AND  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  II.  SPURGEOA 

A  good  cat  should  have  a  good  rat. 

And  so  she  will  if  she  catches  it  herself.  God 
helps  those  who  help  themselves.  We  will  wish  well 
to  him  who  works  well.     "May  the  best  man  win  !" 

A  good  head  will  save  the  feet. 

A  sensible  person  takes  a  practical  view  of  things, 
uses  a  little  foresight,  and  does  two  or  three  things  at 
the  same  time,  thus  saving  future  journeys. 

A  good  horse  never  lacks  a  saddle. 

Somebody  or  other  will  employ  the  man  of  ability, 
character,  and  tact.  The  man  needs  his  place,  but  the 
place  also  needs  the  man. 

A  good  layer  up  should  be  a  good  layer  out. 

Hoarding  is  a  vulgar  thing  which  any  fool  may 
accomplish  ;  but  it  needs  a  wise  man  to  expend  judi- 
ciously what  has  been  saved  carefully. 

A  good  worker  should  have  good  wages. 

He  deserves  them,  and  it  will  be  to  his  employer's 
interest  to  see  that  he  has  them.  Never  lose  a  good 
servant  through  bad  pay. 

A  grateful  man  is  a  rare  bird. 

Yes,  he  is  almost  as  rare  as  a  phoenix.  How  often 
does  charity  receive  an  ungrateful  return !  But  we 
must  not  be  discouraged,  for  we  are  bound  to  give  our 
alms  for  Christ's  sake,  and  not  to  purchase  thanks. 

A  great  cage  does  not  make  a  bird  sing. 

Large  possessions  bring  great  cares,  and  these  too 
often  silence  songs  of  praise. 

A  great  man's  blunders  are  great  blunders. 

When  a  whale  makes  a  splash  it  is  a  great  splash. 
A  man  of  distinguished  capacity  and  position  does 
everything,  right  or  wrong,  upon  a  large  scale. 


SALT-CELLARS.  441 

A   hammer   of    gold   will    not    open    the    gates    of 

heaven. 

Money  opens  many  of  the  gates  of  earth,  for  brib- 
ery is  rife  ;  but  it  has  no  power  in  the  world  to  come. 
Money  is  more  eloquent  than  ten  members  of  Parlia- 
ment, but  it  cannot  prevail  with  the  great  judge. 

A  handsome  woman  is  soon  dressed. 

She  does  not  require  such  careful  setting  off.  She 
is  "most  adorned  when  unadorned  the  most." 

A  hasty  man  is  seldom  out  of  trouble. 

He  is  constantly  offending  some  one  or  other  and 
picking  quarrels  right  and  left.  He  boils  over  and 
scalds  himself. 

A  hedge-hog  is  a  poor  bed  fellow. 

And  so  are  bad-tempered  people,  especially  Mrs. 
Caudle. 

A  hen  with  one  chick  seems  mighty  busy. 

Some  persons  make  as  much  fuss  about  little  as 
others  do  who  have  ten  times  their  work. 

A  hundred  years  hence  we  shall  all  be  bald. 

Our  skulls  will  be  bare  as  the  palm  of  our  hand 
when  it  has  lain  a  little  while  in  the  grave.  What's  the 
use  of  making  much  of  trifles  which  will  soon  come  to 
an  end  ?  So  also  we  may  see  the  folly  of  those  who 
glory  in  their  luxuriant  tresses. 

A  hungry  man  is  an  angry  man. 

Never  collect  subscriptions  before  dinner,  for  you 
will  get  nothing. 

A  journey  of  a  thousand  miles  is  begun  with  a  step. 

Beware  of  despising  small  beginnings.  Some  men 
never  arrive  at  usefulness  because  they  a-e  not  satisfied 
to  begin  in  a  small  way,  and  proceed  a  step  at  a  time. 


442      LIFE  AXD  WOK  A'  OF  REV.  C.  II.  SPURGEON. 

A  kind  face  is  a  beautiful  face. 

Even  a  plain  countenance  is  made  absolutely 
charming  when  a  kind  disposition  lights  it  up. 

A  lazv  man  makes  himself  more  work  by  his  lazi- 
ness. 

He  adopts  shifts  to  save  himself  trouble  ;  and  as 
these  do  not  answer,  it  costs  him  ten  times  more  to  do 
the  thing  than  if  he  had  set  about  it  in  the  right  way  at 
first. 

A  leaden  sword  in  an  ivory  scabbard  is  still  lead. 

You  cannot  make  a  man  of  one  who  is  no  man, 
though  you  may  make  him  a  magistrate,  or  a  minister, 
or  an  emperor 

A  liar  never  believes  other  people. 

Of  course  he  does  not;  he  judges  them  by  himself. 

A  little  fore  talk  may  save  much  after  talk. 

Let  the  bargain,  or  agreement,  be  clearly  under- 
stood, that  there  may  be  no  after  contention.  Let 
counsel  be  carefully  taken,  that  there  may  be  no  need 
for  regret.  Better  thrice  meet  for  consultation  than 
once  for  lamentation. 

A  little  gall  spoils  a  great  deal  of  honey. 

A  few  angry  words  have  embittered  the  friendship 
of  a  life.  A  few  bitter  sentences  have  destroyed  the 
usefulness  of  a  sweet  sermon,  and  even  of  a  sweet  life. 

A  little  man  may  cast  a  long  shadow. 

Though  his  talents  are  small,  his  influence  may  be 
great.  A  holy  life  may  tell  upon  a  wide  circle,  and 
prove  a  blessing  to  many  generations. 

A  little  oil  may  save  a  deal  of  friction. 

Just  a  kind  word  ami  a  yielding  manner,  and  anger 
and  complaining  will  be  avoided. 


SALT-CELLARS.  443 

A  little  too  late  is  too  much  too  late. 

Punctuality  is  an  important  duty,  and  we  ought  to 
be  ashamed  if  we  are  five  minutes  behind  the  promised 
time. 

A  little  wanness  may  save  great  weariness. 

By  forethought,  contrivance  and  arrangement, 
much  care  and  labor  may  be  saved. 

A  man  cannot  prosper  till  he  gets  his  wife's  leave. 

She  must  practice  economy,  or  all  his  savings  may 
melt  away. 

A  man  is  known  by  the  company  he  shuns. 

Quite  as  much  as  by  the  company  he  keeps. 

A  man  may  be  a  fool  and  not  know  it. 

Indeed  it  generally  is  the  case  that  he  is  not  aware 
of  his  own  folly.  If  he  did  know  it,  he  would  not  be  a 
fool  any  longer. 

A  man  of  prayer  is  a  man  of  power. 

But  he  must  not  be  of  the  same  kind  as  the  Berk- 
shire farmer,  who  said  :  "It  was  no  use  praying  for  rain 
as  long  as  the  wind  was  in  the  north." 

A  man  of  silence  is  a  man  of  sense. 

Even  if  he  has  no  other  sense,  he  acts  sensibly 
when  he  keeps  quiet.  He  has  at  least  sense  enough  to 
conceal  his  want  of  it. 

A  man  who  will  not  flee  will  make  his  foes  flee. 

He  only  will  move  the  world  who  will  not  let  the 
world  move  him.  Stand  against  those  whom  you 
withstand,  and  in  a  short  time  they  will  not  stand 
against  you. 


444      LIFE  AND  WORK  OF  REV.  C,  H.  SPURGEON. 

A  man's  tongue  should   never  be   larger  than    his 

hand. 

He  should  not  say  more  than  he  can  do,  nor  prom- 
ise more  than  he  can  perform. 

A  mask  is  an  instrument  of  torture  to  a  true  man. 

He  hates  all  disguise.  He  wishes  to  be  known  and 
read  of  all  men. 

A  mischievous  dog  must  be  tied  short. 

Persons  who  injure  others  must  have  their  power 
limited. 

A  miser  is  like  a  hos£ — of  no  use  till  he  is  dead. 

Many  are  hoping  that  he  will  cut  up  well.  Our 
societies  could  do  very  well  with  a  side  of  such  bacon. 

A  nice  dog  can  give  a  nasty  bite. 

Very  sweet-spoken  men  can  say  slanderous  things. 
You  fancy  that  butter  would  not  melt  in  their  mouths ; 
but  you  soon  find  that  in  proportion  to  the  softness  of 
their  oil  is  the  sharpness  of  their  sword. 

A  nimble  ninepence  beats  a  slow  shilling. 

Quickness  in  trade  is  a  great  thing.  The  oftener 
the  capital  is  turned  over,  the  better.  "Small  profits 
and  quick  returns"  is  a  good  motto. 

A  nod  is  as  good  as  a  wink  to  a  blind  horse. 

As  he  can  see  nothing  at  all,  it  matters  not  how 
you  try  to  direct  him.  Plenty  of  men  are  equally  hard 
to  guide. 

A  parson  should  not  drive  a  grey  horse. 

Because  the  hair  comes  off  and  shows  on  his  black 
coat.  Our  company  and  our  pursuits  should  be  con- 
gruous to  our  calling. 


SA  L  T-  CELLARS.  445 

A  penny  is  a  debt  as  true 

As  if  ten  thousand  pounds  were  due. 

Little  sums  are  apt  to  be  forgotten,  but  the  princi- 
ple involved  in  leaving  them  unpaid  is  the  same  as 
knavery  in  larger  amounts. 

A  pound  of  idleness  weighs  twenty  ounces. 

That  is  to  say,  it  is  more  heavy  and  burdensome 
than  anything  else.     Doing  nothing  is  hard  work. 

A  pound  of  pluck  is  worth  a  ton  of  luck. 

Resolution  will  bring  the  success  which  the  believer 
in  luck  gapes  for  in  vain. 

A  prejudiced  man  puts  out  his  own  eyes. 

He  refuses  to  see  the  other  side  of  the  question. 
His  judgment  is  blinded  by  his  own  wilfulness,  and 
this  is  the  worst  of  blindness. 

A  rich  man  may  make  a  poor  husband. 

Better  to  have  a  treasure  in  the  man  than  with 
the  man. 

A  rolling  stone  gathers  no  moss. 

This  is  the  home-lover's  reason  for  stopping  forever 
in  his  native  village.  There  is  some  reason  in  it,  for 
frequent  and  freakish  changes  hinder  prosperity. 

A  sheep  should  not  tire  of  carrying  his  own  wool. 

He  is  a  lazy  man  who  complains  of  the  weight  of 
his  clothes,  the  toils  of  his  trade,  or  the  natural  care  of 
his  own  family. 

A  servant  is  best  discovered  by  his  master's  absence. 

That  is  to  say,  he  is  found  out  by  what  he  does 
when  his  master  goes  out  and  leaves  him  to  himself. 
Then  you  see  whether  he  is  honest  and  industrious,  or 
the  reverse. 


446      UFE  AXD  IVOR  A'  OF  REV.  C.  H.  SPURGEOX. 

A  slanderer  is  a  cur  that  will  bite  to  the  bone. 

Like  a  mad  dog,  he  leaves  venom  in  the  wound, 
which  may  drive  the  sufferer  to  madness. 

A  soft  heart  needs  a  hard  head. 

Otherwise  sympathy  will  run  away  with  a  man  and 
lead  him  into  foolish  actions.  Judgment  must  sway  the 
feelings  and  keep  them  in  their  right  place,  or  harm 
will  be  done  where  good  was  intended. 

A  sparrow  may  fly  as  high  as  it  will, 

But  it  must  remain  a  sparrow  still. 

So  a  person  may  soar  aloft  in  outward  show,  and  in 
high  pretence,  but  it  makes  no  difference  to  the  man's 
real  self. 

A  strong  will  walks  through  a  wall. 

No  difficulty  can  hinder  the  man  of  firm  resolution. 

A  tame  tongue  is  a  rare  bird. 

One  wishes  these  birds  would  multiply  till  they 
were  as  numerous  as  sparrows. 

A.  tradesman  must  be  self-made  or  never  made. 

He  must  stick  to  business,  and  get  on  by  his  own 
energy,  or  he  will  not  prosper  for  any  length  of  time. 

A  wager  is  a  fool's  argument. 

He  does  not  pretend  to  prove  his  statements,  but 
bawls  out,  "I'll  bet  you  a  pound  on  it,"  which  is  neither 
sense  nor  reason. 

A  white  devil  does  double  mischief.     Beware  ! 

Putting  on  the  font,  of  an  angel  of  light,  the  prince 
of  darkness  gets  advantage  over  men.  Error  is  terri- 
ble when  it  professes  to  be  a  purer  form  of  Christianity. 


SALT-CELLARS.  447 

A  white  glove  often  hides  a  dirty  hand. 

Deceitful  professions  are  used  to  conceal  base 
actions. 

A  wise  man  may  often  learn  from  a  fool. 

The  ignorant  man  often  blunders  out  absurdities 
which  suggest  new  views,  and  on  some  one  point  he 
may  happen  to  be  better  informed  than  the  cultured 
man. 

A  word  once  out  flies  much  about. 

Words  are  like  thistle  down,  and  no  one  knows 
where  they  will  go,  and  what  will  grow  of  them.  "Keep 
the  door  of  thy  mouth." 

"Almost"  never  shoots  a  cock-sparrow. 

The  half-hearted  man  does  nothing.  He  is  always 
going  to  do  much,  but  it  ends  in  mere  proposing,  and 
comes  to  nothing.  A  life  which  lingers  on  the  verge  of 
something,  but  never  comes  to  anything,  is  most 
ridiculous. 

"Always  at  it"  wins  the  day. 

Perseverance  conquers  every  difficulty  by  its 
dogged  determination.  He  that  will  not  be  beaten 
cannot  be  beaten.  He  who  keeps  on  pegging  away 
will  do  it  sooner  or  later. 

Always  leave  a  little  coal  for  the  next  day's  fire. 

Don't  say  all  on  a  subject  nor  spend  all  on  a  feast. 

All  bread  is  not  baked  in  one  oven. 

No  one  man,  or  society,  or  denomination,  or  sec- 
tion of  the  community,  can  do  all  the  good  work  that 
is  needed  in  this  poor  world. 

All  is  fine  that  is  fit. 

If  a  thing  is  suitable  it  is  admirable  ;  but  if  unfit  for 
its  purpose  it  is  often  unendurable,  however  grand  may 
be  the  look  of  it. 


448      LIFE  AXD  WORK'  OF  REV.  C.  H.  SPURGEON. 

All  sunshine,  and  nothing  else,  makes  a  desert. 

If  we  had  nothing  but  prosperity,  we  should  be 
burnt  up  with  worldliness.  We  may  be  thankful  there 
is  no  fear  of  this. 

.All  the  speed  is  not  in  the  spurs. 

Strength  is  wanted  as  well  as  stimulus.  Comforta- 
ble instruction  is  as  needful  as  earnest  exhortation. 

An  ape  is  an  ape,  though  dressed  in  a  cape. 

No  garment  can  long  conceal  character.  The  man 
comes  out  sooner  or  later.  Let  nine  tailors  do  their 
best,  a  fop  is  not  a  man  for  all  that. 

An  early  start  makes  easy  stages. 

To  begin  promptly  causes  work  to  go  pleasantly ; 
whereas  delay  keeps  one  in  a  perpetual  heat. 

An  ill  calf  may  become  a  good  cow. 

We  cannot  depend  upon  parentage.  Grace  does 
not  run  in  the  blood.  The  best  of  men  have  the  worst 
of  children. 

An  obedient  wife  commands  her  husband. 

By  her  love  the  good  man  is  conquered,  so  that  he 
delights  to  give  her  pleasure. 

An  old  dog  must  bark  in  his  own  way. 

There  must  be  much  indulgence  shown  to  age  and 
long-established  habit. 

An  open  mouth  shows  an  empty  head. 

When  persons  are  so  exceedingly  ready  to  chatter, 
it  is  soon  discovered  that  they  know  nothing.  If  there 
had  been  anything  in  the  box,  the  owner  would  have 
had  some  kind  of  fastening  for  it. 


SALT-CELLARS.  449 

An  owl  will  never  teach  an  eagle  to  look  at  the  sun. 

Tutors  of  doubtful  character  and  irreligious  prin- 
ciples can  never  instruct  young  people  in  the  ways 
of  godliness. 

Any  boy  or  girl  you  see,  can  leap  o'er  a  fallen  tree. 

As  soon  as  a  man  is  down,  there  are  plenty  to 
triumph  over  him.  A  hare  can  sport  with  the  beard  of 
a  dead  lion.  In  fact,  some  spirits  take  peculiar  delight 
in  pouring  contempt  upon  the  great  in  the  day  of  their 
calamity. 

Any  time  means  no  time. 

When  a  work  has  no  appointed  season,  it  is  put  off 
from  day  to  day,  and  in  all  probability  is  forgotten  and 
neglected  altogether. 

As  easy  as  an  old  shoe,  and  of  as  little  value  too. 

Many  are  without  spirit,  and  from  that  reason  are 
very  agreeable  to  others,  but  are  worth  nothing  for 
practical  service. 
As  they  must  dig  who  gather  ore,  so  they  must  dig 
who  gather  lore. 

The  notion  with  many  is  that  reading  and  studying 
are  mere  amusement ;  but  if  they  would  try  for  them- 
selves, t'ley  would  find  that  headwork  is  more  tiring 
than  handwork. 

As  you  give  love,  you  will  have  love. 

This  is  generally  true  ;  at  least,  the  price  of  love  is 
love.  Those  who  love  everybody  will  win  love,  or 
better  still,  they  will  deserve  it. 

As  the  corn  is,  such  will  the  flour  be. 
As  the  com  is,  such  will  the  walk  be. 

This  last  is  not  corn  in  the  field,  but  corn  on  the 
foot.  Corns  and  bunions  do  not  contribute  to  a 
pilgrim's  progress. 


450      LIFE  AND  WORK'  OF  REV.  C.  H.  SPURGEOX. 

As  you  make  your  bed,  so  you  must  lie  on  it. 

If  young  people  will  choose  unfit  partners  in  life, 
they  must  take  the  consequences.  If  they  choose 
poverty  or  vice,  they  must  abide  their  choice. 

Asses  carry  the  oats,  and  horses  eat  them. 

So  it  comes  to  pass  that  mere  labor  gets  little 
compared  with  the  more  skilled  form  of  work.  The 
proverb  indicates  a  grievance,  but  hints  at  the  only 
way  of  escaping  it. 

At  the  sign  of  the  angel,  beware  of  the  Devil. 

In  Vanity  Fair  this  is  the  tavern  that  Diabolus 
always  patronizes. 

Avarice  is  a  mad  vice. 

The  miser  is  called  by  French  wit,  "  the  treasurer 
of  his  heir."     Poor  idiot ! 

Avoid  extremes  and  bubble  schemes. 

Avoid  that  which  makes  a  void  in  your  pocket. 

Bad  beef  will  never  make  good  broth. 

Several  meanings  may  be  given  to  this  proverb. 
You  cannot  get  good  influences  out  of  bad  doctrine. 
Ill-gotten  money  brings  no  blessing  in  its  use.  Bad 
schemes  cannot  lead  to  good  results. 

Bad  wares  are  never  cheap. 

Yet  they  catch  a  crowd  of  customers.  The  reason  for 
this  lies  in  Carlyle's  remark,  "That  the  United  Kingdom 
contains  so  many  millions  of  inhabitants,  mostly  fools.'" 

Bad  work  is  never  worth  doing. 

It  will  only  need  undoing,  or  if  it  be  left  as  it  is,  it 
will  be  a  perpetual  abomination.  Work  thy  best,  or 
let  it  rest. 


SAL  T-CE1.  LARS.  451 

Bare-footed  folk  should  not  tread  on  thorns. 

Those  who  are  particularly  sensitive  in  any  direc- 
tion, should  keep  out  of  the  way  of  the  evil  they  dread. 

Be  little  fish  if  you  have  but  a  little  water. 
Accommodate  yourself  to  your  condition. 

Be  a  man  before  your  mother. 

Some  do  not  seem  as  if  they  would  be.  The  mere 
dandy  is  like  his  mother  in  this  only  ;  she  will  never  be 
a  man,  nor  will  he. 

Be  always  valorous,  but  seldom  venturous. 

We  are  10  be  ready  for  all  that  comes,  but  we  are 
not  to  seek  conflict.  Face  a  lion  if  you  must,  but  don't 
go  down  to  the  circus  and  get  into  a  cage  with  him  of 
your  own  accord. 

Be  always  ahead  of  your  work. 

Then  you  will  be  comfortable.  If  you  are  behind- 
hand you  will  be  constantly  whipped  at  the  cart's  tail 
of  hurry. 

Be  as  neat  as  a  pin,  and  as  brisk  as  a  bee. 

Appearance  and  deportment  may  seem  little 
things,  but  they  greatly  effect  success  in  life.  Em- 
ployers like  to  have  about  them  persons  who  are  neat 
in  attire  and  quick  in  their  movements.  Nobody  wants 
to  have  a  bundle  of  old  rags  rolling  about  his  shop. 

Be  careful,  but  not  full  of  care. 

It  has  been  well  said  that  our  anxiety  does  not 
empty  to-morrow  of  its  sorrows,  but  only  empties 
to-day  of  its  strength. 

Be  good,  and  then  do  good. 

You  cannot  really  do  more  than  you  are. 


452     LIFE  AND  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  II.  SPURGEON. 

Be  hardy,  but  not  hard. 

Endure  hardship  yourself;  but  do  not  become  un- 
kind to  others  because  you  are  strong  and  can  rough 
it.  A  hardy  man  with  a  tender  heart  is  a  beautiful 
character;  but  an  unfeeling  tyrant  is  a  curse  to  his 
household. 

Be  honest,  and  thus  outwit  the  rogues. 

Honesty  perplexes  the  cunning.  They  think  you 
are  practising  some  deep  policy,  and  they  are  baffled. 

Be  low  in  humility  and  high  in  hope. 

He  who  will  not  bend  his  head  in  humility  will  run 
against  a  beam  ;  he  that  will  not  hold  up  his  head  in 
hopefulness  will  not  be  cheered  by  an  early  sight  of 
the  good  which  is  waiting  for  him. 

Be  merrily  wise  and  wisely  happy. 

It  is  to  be  done,  though  it  will  need  prudence  and 
prayer. 

Be  not  ever  and  over  touchy. 

Too  much  sensitiveness  will  be  avoided  by  a  sensi- 
ble man.  Persons  who  are  easily  aggrieved  will  have 
a  sad  time  of  it  in  this  rough-and-tumble  world. 

Be  not  everybody's  dog  that  whistles  you. 

Have  a  mind  of  your  own,  and  do  not  follow  first 
one  leader  and  then  another 

Be  old  when  young,  that  you  may  be  young  when 

old. 

Prudence,  sobriety  and  true  godliness,  are  sup- 
posed to  be  appropriate  to  the  aged  ;  but  we  should 
possess  them  in  our  youth.  So  may  we  hope  to  be 
preserved  in  health  and  vigor  when  years  have  multi- 
plied upon  us. 


SALT-CELLARS.  453 

Be  not  honey  abroad  and  wormwood  at  home. 

Do  not  spend  all  our  good  humor  on  strangers, 
and  then  sulk  and  scold  in  your  own  house.  Some 
read  it,  "Be  not  an  angel  abroad  and  a  devil  at  home." 
Who  but  a  hypocrite  will  bring  himself  under  the  cen- 
sure of  this  proverb. 

Be  quiet  :  walls  have  ears. 

Nobody  knows  who  may  be  listening.  Say  noth- 
ing which  you  would  not  wish  put  in  the  daily  papers. 

Be  sure  you  know  your  own  know. 

Don't  pretend  to  knowledge  and  then  break  down 
under  a  question  or  two.  Also,  be  quite  sure  of  what 
you  know,  and  let  nobody  beat  you  from  your  belief. 

Be  your  own  most  useful  friend  : 
Cease  on  others  to  depend. 

An  ancient  philosopher  once  said,  "I  am  the  only 
one  of  my  friends  that  I  can  rely  upon."  A  friend  may 
help  you  over  a  stile,  but  he  cannot  be  expected  to 
carry  you  on  his  back. 

Beauty  wins,  but  bounty  holds. 

The  eye  is  charmed  by  an  elegant  appearance  but 
the  actual  receipt  of  kindness  is  that  which  retains  the 
heart. 

Bear  the  hen's  cackle  for  the  sake  of  the  eggs. 

Little  annoyances  must  be  put  up  with  because  of 
great  advantages.  The  rattle  of  machinery  and  the 
noise  of  traffic  must  be  endured  for  the  sake  of 
business. 

Before  a  fool  handles  a  whip  he  ought  to  feel  it  on 
his  own  back. 

Not  meant  to  be  a  cruel  observation,  but  to  prevent 
much  of  that  cruelty  which  arises  from  ignorance  of 
the  pain  which  the  lash  is  causing. 


454      LIFE  AND  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  II.  SPURGEON. 

Before  vou  decide,  hear  the  other  side. 

This  is  sensible  advice,  but  many  persist  in  the 
neglect  of  it. 

Before  you  mount  look  to  your  girth. 

Applicable  to  many  mounts  besides  those  upon  a 
horse's  back.  Many  men  accept  offices  which  they 
cannot  fulfill,  and  enter  upon  positions  which  they 
cannot  maintain. 

Before  you  trust  the  cat,  put  the  cream  out  of  reach. 

Remove  temptation  even  from  those  in  whom  you 
have  confidence.  He  who  bids  you  pray,  "Lead  us  not 
into  temptation,"  would  not  have  you  lead  others  into  it. 

Bend  the  boy's  neck,  or  he'll  be  a  stiff-necked  man. 

Want  of  training  to  obedience  in  youth  is  the 
cause  of  much  of  the  disorder  and  love  of  anarchy 
which  we  see  in  certain  classes  of  society.  The  child 
is  getting  to  be  the  father  of  the  man  with  a  vengeance, 
and  the  father  is  coming  to  be  the  son's  slave. 

Better  a  good  groat  than  a  bad  bank  book. 

Sincerity  makes  the  least  man  to  be  of  more  value 
than  the  most  talented  hypocrite. 

Better  a  salt  tongue  than  an  oily  one. 

Sensible  persons  prefer  a  little  sharp  honesty  to 
glib  conceit.  We  say,  "Speak  the  truth,  shame  the 
devil,"  but  we  know  some  who  warp  the  truth,  and 
please  the  devil. 

Better  a  witty  fool,  than  a  foolish  wit. 

Wit  is  a  razor,  and  if  it  be  in  unwise  hands  it  may 
injure  men.  It  needs  great  sense  to  play  the  fool,  and 
the  man  who  attempts  wit  should  have  all  his  wits 
about  him. 


SALT-CELLARS.  455 

Better  be  a  lean  bird  in  the  wood  than  a  fat  one  in 
a  cage. 

The  sweets  of  liberty  are  worth  paying  for.  The 
Creoles  say  that  "fat  has  no  feeling,"  hence  the  fat  bird 
does  not  fret  about  the  cage. 

Better  be  half  an  hour  too  soon  than  a  minute  too 
late. 

Then  you  only  lose  your  own  time,  but  in  the  other 
case  you  are  wasting  the  time  of  others.  If  you  keep 
four  persons  waiting  a  quarter  of  an  hour,  you  have 
stolen  an  hour  of  their  time. 

Better  bread  in  the  lap,  than  feather  in  the  cap. 

A  supply  for  necessities  is  better  than  mere  honor 
or  the  pretence  of  it.  "Rag  and  famish"  is  a  poor 
motto. 

Better  dove  without  serpent,  than  serpent  without 
dove. 

Simplicity  without  prudence  is  better  than  subtlety 
without  sincerity.  Yet  when  a  fellow  will  not  do  right 
when  softly  persuaded  by  your  dove,  it  may  be  wise  to 
set  your  serpent  at  him. 

Better  eat  humble  pie  than  no  pie  at  all. 

Some  throw  themselves  out  of  a  situation  sooner 
than  apologize  for  a  fault  or  put  up  with  a  rebuke. 
This  is  extreme  folly. 

Better  half  a  loaf  than  no  bread  at  all. 

If  wages  be  not  so  high  as  we  could  wish,  yet  if  we 
are  out  of  work  for  a  single  week  it  will  take  months 
to  recover  the  loss.  Strikes  hurt  the  striker,  even  if 
they  win. 

Better  keep  peace  than  make  peace. 

What  are  small  gains  compared  with  the  pearl  of 
peace. 


456      LIFE  AND  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  II.  SPURGEON. 

Better  leave  undone  than  have  to  undo. 

When  a  case  is  doubtful,  it  is  best  to  do  nothing  till 
you  see  what  to  do,  for  if  we  do  the  wrong  thing  it  may 
make  bad  worse. 

Better  live  on  a  little  than  outlive  a  o-reat  deal. 

Economy  must  be  strictly  practiced  when  a  busi- 
ness is  in  peril,  for  the  greatest  pinching  will  be  better 
than  losing  the  chance  of  a  livelihood.  Cultivate  fore- 
thought upon  a  little  oatmeal.  Do  not  by  extravagance 
kill  the  goose  which  lays  the  golden  egg. 

Better  out  of  fashion  than  out  of  credit. 

Some  spend  so  much  to  be  fashionable  that  they 
get  into  debt,  and  loose  credit  with  their  neighbors. 
"You  must  be  in  fashion,"  is  the  utterance  of  weak- 
headed  mortals. 

Better  serve  God  in  a  city  than  a  cell. 

Because  there  is  more  opportunity  for  doing  good 
among  the  masses.  Lonely  service  may  be  good  for 
me,  but  what  is  to  become  of  perishing  millions. 

Better  wear  out  shoes  than  sheets. 

Industry  is  much  to  be  preferred  to  indolent  self-indul- 
gence. Better  trudge  along  the  road  to  success  than 
doze  one's  self  into  failure. 

Better  work  for  nothing  than  become  lazy. 

It  is  really  so.  Gentlemen  who  have  retired  from 
business  often  take  up  an  unpaid  occupation  to  keep 
them  from  absolute  weariness  of  life. 

Between  said  and  done  a  race  may  be  run. 

It  is  generally  desired  that  they  may  very  nearly 
keep  pace  with  each  other.  Said  \m\\\  be  a  little  ahead, 
but  done  should  follow  at  his  heel. 


SALT-CELLARS.  457 

Beware  of  having  more  notion  than  motion. 

We  see  everywhere  persons  who  know  more  than 
they  practice,  and  have  more  conceit  than  industry, 
more  doctrine  in  the  head  than  holiness  in  life.  Let 
such  men  serve  us  as  beacons. 

Beware  of  men  made  of  molasses. 

Persons  who  are  very  plausible  and  exceedingly 
polite  have  generally  some  design  upon  you,  as  also 
religionists  who  call  you  "dear"  the  first  time  they  see 
you,  and  are  forever  prating  of  a  love  which  lies  only 
on  their  lips,  and  lies  even  there. 

Beware  of  mettle  in  a  blind  horse. 

He  is  apt  to  dash  into  danger.  He  must  go,  and 
he  does  not  see  where.  Many  zealots  are  so  ignorant 
that  they  come  under  this  proverb  ;  they  are  danger- 
ous when  they  are  not  well  guided. 

Beware  of  the  stone  thou  stumblest  at  before. 

We  shall  be  doubly  guilty  if  we  do  not  learn  to 
avoid  in  future  that  which  has  already  proved  an  occa- 
sion of  sin  to  us. 

Beware  of  two  black  eyes. 

Whether  in  your  own  head,  or  in  the  lovely  face  of 
a  doubtful  woman. 

Bitter  truth  should  be  sweetly  spoken. 

We  should  be  anxious  to  cause  no  more  offence 
than  naturally  goes  with  the  truth  itself.  Coat  your 
pills  with  sugar. 

Borrowing  may  be  tried  once,  but  only  once. 

Sudden  need  may  come  to  any  one,  but  the  habit  of 
running  to  others  should  not  be  formed,  much  less 
continued. 


458      LIFE  AND  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  H.  SPUR  GEO  AT. 

Bought  wit  lasts  longest. 

It  makes  a  deep  impression  on  the  memory  and 
usually  remains  for  life.  Its  serious  price  helps  its 
preservation. 

Blue  is  blue,  but  there  may  be  better  blue. 

True  and  faithful,  good  and  generous  as  a  man  may 
be,  there  may  be  others  quite  as  good,  if  not  better. 

Both  folly  and  wisdom  grow  with  our  years. 

Too  often  they  seem  to  grow  side  by  side.  Some 
know  better  and  do  worse.  Time  makes  some  mellow 
and  others  rotten. 

Bread  baked  must  be  eaten. 

Either  by  ourselves  or  somebody.  Our  conduct 
has  results  and  very  sad  ones,  too,  in  some  cases. 

Brevity  is  a  fine  thing  in  a  speech. 

Want  of  study,  and  want  of  really  knowing  what 
one  is  driving  at,  must  bear  the  blame  of  many  a  long 
and  weary  talk.  Hence  a  short  speech  is  usually  of 
better  quality  than  a  long  one ;  and  if  it  is  not,  it  is  all 
the  better  that  it  is  short. 

Bring  up  your  boy  to  nothing,  and  he'll  be  a  rogue. 

He  will  have  nothing  to  do,  and  he  will  do  it  dili- 
gently. Of  course  he  will  run  into  bad  company,  and 
wicked  men  and  the  devil  together  will  soon  make 
a  tool  of  him. 

Buttons  all  right  are  husbands'  delight. 

What  vexation  may  be  caused  by  neglect  of  such  a 
little  thing  as  a  button !  Let  wives  think  nothing 
trivial  which  tends  to  peace. 

"Candidly  but  cautiously,"  said  the  wise  man. 

So  should  we  always  speak  the  truth  by  all  means, 
but  that  truth  with  caution ;  for  there  are  so  many 
lying  upon  the  catch  that  one  has  need  to  look  at  his 
words  twice  before  he  speaks  them. 


SALT-CELLARS. 


459 


Carry  your  eyes  in  your  own  head. 

Judge  for  yourself ;  don't  make  another  your  guide. 

Cast  not  dirt  into  the  well  which  gives  you  water. 

Find  not  fault  with  those  who  feed  you,  nor  with 
the  trade  which  supports  you,  nor  with  the  Lord  who 
gives  you  all  things. 

Cats  in  mittens  catch  no  mice. 

Persons  who  are  fastidious  in  dress  seldom  ac- 
complish much.  A  minister  who  preaches  in  gloves  is 
usually  too  fine  a  gentleman  to  move  men's  con- 
sciences. 

Cats  know  the  ways  of  cats. 

Certain  classes  of  people  know  one  another's  ways, 
which  cannot  be  comprehended  by  strangers. 

Cease  play  when  it  ceases  to  be  play. 

When  bad  temper  creeps  in  because  the  weaker 
does  not  like  to  be  beaten,  drop  the  game.  It  is  meant 
for  pleasure  ;  end  it  when  it  comes  to  pain. 

Censure  from  the  bad  is  true  praise. 

When  Agesliaus  heard  any  persons  praised  or  cen- 
sured, he  remarked  that  it  was  as  necessary  to  know 
the  characters  of  the  critics  as  the  character  of  the 
person  of  whom  they  spoke.  Slander  is  the  homage 
which  vice  pays  to  virtue.  If  the  wicked  praised  us, 
we  should  have  to  ask  with  the  stoic,  "What  have  I 
done  wrong,  that  these  fellows  should  speak  well  of 
me  ?" 

Character  is  a  man's  best  capital. 

It  is  the  backbone  of  success,  especially  with  those 
employed  by  others.  Young  men  see  that  you  do  not 
impoverish  yourself  by  wasting  this  precious  stock  in 
trade  of  life. 


460      LIFE  AND  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  II.  SPURGEON. 

Charity  is  the  salt  of  riches. 

Sprinkle  a  good  deal  of  it  over  your  income.  Be 
not  one  of  those  of  whom  Sidney  Smith  said,  that  they 
were  "ready  to  act  the  good  Samaritan,  without  the 
oil  and  the  twopence." 

Charity    should   be    warmest   when    the  season  is 
coldest. 

Then  is  the  time  for  coals  and  blankets,  and  the 
more  the  merrier.  It  will  warm  your  hearts  to  warm 
poor  people's  bodies. 

Cheerfulness  smoothes  the  road  of  life. 

It  either  gathers  out  the  stones,  or  else  trips  so 
lightly  over  them  that  they  are  not  noticed. 

Chide  thy  friend  in  private,  praise  him  in  public. 

The  first  will  prove  that  thy  faithfulness  is  full  of 
love,  and  the  second  that  thy  love  is  not  ashamed  to 
own  itself.  This  is  what  thou  wouldst  expect  of  him, 
therefore  so  act  towards  him. 

Children  never  tell  what  they  don't  know. 

They  are  best  sent  out  of  the  way  when  things  are 
talked  of  which  you  do  not  wish  reported. 

Chins  without  beards  are  better  than  heads  without 
brains. 

Young  men,  when  wise,  are  to  be  preferred  to 
those  without  sense,  who  have  not  even  youth  to  ex- 
cuse their  folly.  When  Queen  Elizabeth  had  sent  a 
somewhat  young  ambassador  to  a  foreign  court,  and 
the  king  complained  of  it,  the  ambassador  replied,  "If 
Her  Majesty  had  known  that  you  measure  wisdom  by 
beards,  she  would  have  sent  you  a  goat." 

Choose  a  kit  from  a  good  cat. 

Daughters  will  probably  be  like  their  mothers ; 
therefore  the  mother  is  a  good  guide  for  a  young  man 
in  selecting  a  wife. 


SALT-CELLARS. 


Clean  hands  are  better  than  clever  hands. 


401 


Much  is  made  of  cleverness  nowadays  but  the 
devil  is  the  cleverest  of  all,  and  yet  he  is  most  wicked. 

Clean  your  tongue  as  well  as  your  teeth. 

This  is  easier  said  than  done. 

Compassion  will  do  more  than  passion. 

The  kindly  warmth  of  the  sun  made  the  traveller 
take  off  his  cloak,  while  the  cutting  wind  could  not 
tear  it  off,  but  made  him  bind  it  closer  about  him  ;  so 
love  does  more  than  wrath. 

Constant  occupation  removes  temptation. 

In  a  great  measure  it  does  so.  David  sinned  with 
Bathsheba  when  he  stayed  at  home  from  battle,  and 
was  resting  on  his  bed  in  day  time. 

Cool  head  and  warm  heart :  these  should  never  be 
apart. 

Lest  we  should  be  carried  away  by  excitement,  and 
lose  our  balance  of  mind. 

"Couldn't  help  it"  doesn't  mend  it. 

Frequent  is  the  excuse,  "I  couldn't  help  it."  It 
does  not  comfort  the  injured  party,  and  it  is  seldom 
true.  The  Creoles  very  wisely  say,  "Asking  my  par- 
don does  not  cure  the  bumps  you  made  on  my  fore- 
head." 

Count  money  after  your  own  kin. 

In  trade  transactions  deal  with  relatives  as  you 
would  with  strangers,  so  far  as  methods  of  business  are 
concerned.     This  rule  is  a  wise  one  and  promotes  love. 

Courage  needs  eyes  as  well  as  arms. 

*  We  must  not  blindly  rush  into  danger.     Fearless 

need  not  be  heedless.     True  courage  is  not  cousin  to 
rashness. 


462      LIFE  A. YD  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  If.  SPURGEON. 

Cows  forget  that  they  were  calves. 

Elderly  persons  fail  to  remember  that  they  were 
once  young  themselves,  and  so  they  do  not  make 
allowance  for  juveniles  around  them. 

Credit  won  by  lying  is  quick  in  dying. 

For  very  soon  the  falsehood  is  found  out.  Truth  is 
like  a  cuckoo ;  you  cannot  hedge  it  in,  nor  prevent  its 
voice  being  heard. 

Crowbars  swallowed  strengthen  the  back. 

Hard  things,  when  patiently  endured,  tend  to 
increase  our  mental  and  spiritual  strength.  An  old 
friend  of  mine  told  me  in  my  youth  that  I  should  have 
to  swallow  many  bush-fagots  cross-ways.  I  have  done 
so,  and  have  found  the  process  of  great  service  in 
clearing  the  throat. 

Cursing  men  are  cursed  men. 

For  curses  are  like  processions,  which  go  their 
round  and  come  home  again. 

Cutting  off  a  mule's  ears  won't  make  him  a  horse. 

Mere  change  of  appearance  is  of  little  value.  So 
taking  away  some  one  glaring  folly  will  not  change  a 
man's  nature ;  the  proverb  is  Creole.  The  Italians 
say,  "Cut  off  a  dog's  tail  and  he  remains  a  dog." 

Daylight  will  peep  through  a  very  small  hole. 

Secrets  are  made  known  by  very  simple  circum- 
stances.    Truth  is  disseminated  by  the  weakest  means. 

Dirty  linen  should  be  washed  at  home. 

Family  quarrels  should  not  be  made  public. 
Almost  any  degree  of  suffering  is  better  than  public 
exposure  of  private  wrongs  and  personal  bickerings. 


SALT-CELLARS.  46.3 

Do  not  growl,  lest  you  be  taken  for  a  dog. 

Certain  persons  can  never  be  pleased.  They  are 
cynics,  and  prove  their  right  to  the  name  by  their 
dogged  complaints. 

Do  the  duty  that  lies  nearest  thee. 

"Whatsoever  thy  hand  findeth,"  said  Solomon, 
"do  with  thy  might."  Carlisle  says:  "Our  grand 
business  is  not  to  see  what  lies  dimly  at  a  distance,  but 
to  do  what  lies  clearly  at  hand.''     Do  the  next  thing. 

Do  to  others  as  you  would  that  they  should  do  to  you. 

The  golden  rule,  but  not  the  rule  by  which  to  get 
gold.  It  is  much  admired  in  church,  but  if  it  were  to 
wander  into  the  exchange  or  the  market,  it  would  be 
locked  up  by  the  beadle.  The  world's  golden  rule  is, 
"Do  others,  or  others  will  do  you." 

Don't  accuse  the  times  to  excuse  yourself. 

The  times  are  good  enough  for  men  who  are  good 
enough.     If  times  are  hard  we  must  work  harder. 

Don't  be  above  your  business,  nor  below  it. 

To  be  too  proud  to  attend  to  your  work,  or  too 
uneducated  to  do  it  thoroughly,  will  be  equally  inju- 
rious. There  is  an  honor  in  hard  work.  The  French 
rule  is  "Respect  the  burden,"  and  every  burden  of 
labor  is  respectable. 

Don't  bet  even  a  farthing  cake. 

This  was  the  very  largest  wager  of  an  old  friend  of 
ours,  and  then  he  always  stipulated  that  he  should 
himself  have  the  first  bite,  whether  he  won  or  not. 
We  don't  recommend  even  this. 

Don't  blow  the  broth  which  does  not  burn  you. 

If  there's  no  real  fault,  don't  blame  a  man.  Never 
grumble  without  cause.  If  it's  no  concern  of  yours, 
let  it  alone. 


464     LIFE  AND  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  H.  SPURGEON. 

Don't  burn  your  candle  at  both  ends. 

It  will  go  fast  enough  at  one.  Don't  lose  your 
wages  in  holidays,  and  at  the  same  time  spend  your 
money  in  your  frolics. 

Don't  carve  another  man's  "leg  of  mutton. 

Some  are  very  pleased  when  they  are  eating  and 
drinking  at  other  people's  expense  ;  but  it  never  pays 
with  men  of  honor,  for  they  feel  bound  to  make  a 
return,  and  they  will  be  called  on  to  do  it. 

Don't  crawl  all  day  over  one  cabbage  leaf. 

The  movements  of  some  parties  are  so  slow  that 
this  admonition  might  be  fairly  addressed  to  them.  A 
master  once  asked  his  gardener,  "John,  did  you  ever  see 
a  snail?"  "Yes,  sir."  "Then,"  said  the  master,  "I 
am  sure  you  met  it,  for  you  would  never  have  over- 
taken it." 

Don't  cut  down  an  oak  to  plant  a  thistle. 

To  destroy  an  old  institution  for  some  new  non- 
sense is  not  wise- 

Don't  fight  for  the  shell  and  lose  the  kernel. 

This  is  done  when  mere  words  are  the  ground  of 
contention,  and  essential  doctrine  is  overlooked. 

Don't  give  a  good  pail  of  milk,  and  then  put  your 
foot  in  it. 

Cows  sometimes  do  this;  but  it  is  by  no  means  a 
pleasure  to  the  farmer.  Don't  do  a  good  action  and 
spoil  it  by  your  after  conduct;  nor  preach  a  good  ser- 
mon and  contradict  it.  As  a  rule  do  not  "put  your 
foot  in  it,"  in  any  sense.  An  Irishman  observed  that 
whenever  he  opened  his  mouth  he  put  his  foot  in  it. 
Don't  imitate  him. 


SALT-CELLARS.  465 

Don't  go  out  woolly  and  come  home  shorn. 

Plenty  do  this  who  would  have  been  more  sensible 
had  they  staid  at  home  ;  they  leave  the  old  faith  for 
something  more  attractive  and  lose  their  comfort,  if 
not  their  character. 

Don't  hold  with  the  hare  and  run  with  the  hounds. 

Jack-o-both-sides  generally  catches  it  from  both 
parties  before  long.  Don't  play  the  game  of  double- 
shuffle. 

Don't  let  your  feet  run  faster  than  your  shoes. 

It  is  unwise  to  go  faster  than  you  can  do  with  safety 
and  comfort.  Many  have  brought  their  bare  feet  to 
the  ground  by  spending  more  than  their  income  could 
provide. 

Don't  let  your  heart  sink  into  your  hose. 

Fear  makes  the  heart  go  down  into  the  stocking. 
But  heart  in  hose  is  out  of  place.  Why  fear  if  you  are 
right. 

Don't  meddle,  or  you'll  muddle. 

Is  it  not  generally  the  case,  that  those  who  inter- 
fere do  more  harm  than  good?  These  amateur  cooks 
spoil  the  broth. 

Don't  pick  a  man  up  before  he  is  down. 

Don't  correct  him  before  he  has  made  a  mistake. 

Don't  put  all  your  eggs  into  one  basket. 

It  is  unwise  to  risk  all  that  you  have  in  any  one 
concern.  If  you  have  any  savings,  put  them  in  several 
places.  The  marines'  form -of  this  saying  is,  "Don't 
ship  all  your  goods  in  one  vessel." 

Don't  put  on  so  much  coal  as  to  put  out  the  fire. 

You  can  lay  so  many  books  on  the  brain  as  to  bury 
it,  and  teach  children  so  much  that  they  learn  nothing, 
and  preach  so  long  that  the  people  forget  all  that  is 
said. 


466      LIFE  AND  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  H.  SPURGEON, 

Don't  roll  m  the  mire  to  please  the  pigs. 

Do  nothing  wrong  to  please  those  who  take  delight 
in  evil. 

Don't  shiver  with  last  winter's  cold. 

Let    not    past    sorrows    be    remembered.     If  the 
memory  of  them  awakens  gratitude,  well  and  good ; 
but  if  they  renew  your  pain  it  is  foolish  to  raise  them 
from  the  grave  of  the  past- 
Don 't  sow  your  wild  oats;  they  are  bad  reaping. 

Many  talk  as  if  young  people  ought  to  be  vicious 
for  a  time,  or  as  if  it  was  a  very  excusable  thing  for  a 
young  man  to  be  impure  in  his  behavior.  This  is  very 
pernicious.  Alas  !  throughout  life  men  have  had  to 
feel  in  their  bones  the  sins  of  their  youth. 

Don't  spend  other  peoples'  money. 

This  is  too  often  done.  Expenditure  upon  credit, 
tampering  with  trusts,  and  many  other  matters  come 
under  the  last  of  this  sentence. 

Don't  throw  good  money  after  bad. 

It  is  useless  to  spend  your  money  in  going  to  law 
with  a  person  who  will  not  or  cannot  pay.  If  you  sue 
a  beggar  you  know  what  you  will  get,  and  that  fact 
should  make  you  forbear. 

Don't  trust  a  rickety  chair  or  a  tricky  man. 

For  if  you  do,  you  may  get  an  ugly  fall,  or  find 
yourself  deceived.  It  is  risky  to  ride  broken  kneed 
horses,  or  to  trust  men  who  have  already  failed,  and 
fellows  who  have  once  deceived  you. 

Drink  like  a  fish — water  only. 

Drinking  water  neither  makes  a  man  sick,  nor  in 
debt,  nor  his  wife  a  widow.  But  some  men  are  like  the 
drunken  Parisian,  who  declared  that  in  his  childhood 
he  had  been  bitten  by  a  mad-dog,  and  consequently 
had  a  horror  of  water. 


SALT-CELLARS.  A&1 

Drive  one  plow  at  a  time. 

Turn  all  your  strength  in  one  direction.  Divided 
energies  threaten  failure.  "One  thing  I  do,"  is  a  good 
motto. 

Dry  bread  at  home  is  better  than  roast  meat  abroad. 
That  is  to  say,  as  a  general  rule.  One  does  not 
turn  up  his  nose  at  a  roast  or  boiled  when  one  is  at  a 
friend's  house,  or  sojourning  by  the  sea,  or  wandering 
among  the  alps.  Still  there's  no  table,  no  bed,  no  fire- 
side, no  home,  no  wife  like  our  own. 

Ducks  lay  eggs;  geese  lay  wagers. 

Such  geese  are  very  common  near  our  common, 
especially  towards  Derby  Day.  Where  is  the  sense  of 
this  mania  for  gambling?  We  need  not  ask  where  is 
the  morality  of  it? 

Early  up  and  never  the  nearer. 

A  man  might  as  well  keep  in  bed  if  he  does  not 
rightly  use  his  time  after  he  has  risen.  The  main  mat- 
ter is  not  rising  early,  but  well  spending  the  day. 

East  or  West,  home  is  best. 

Foreign  travel  pleases  for  a  season,  but  the  heart 
turns  to  home  as  the  needle  to  the  pole.  He  has  no 
home  who  does  not  love  it  dearly. 

Empty  tubs  are  easily  rolled. 

When  there  is  nothing  in  a  man  he  has  no  stability 
but  is  easily  persuaded  and  deluded.  A  drunkard  said 
he  was  sure  the  world  was  round,  for  he  rolled  about 
so;  and  certain  others  have  a  sort  of  mental  reeling 
which  can  only  come  of  emptiness. 

Even  a  plowman  can  see  who  is  a  true  gentleman. 
An  indescribable  something  in  tone,  manner  and 
spirit,  will  cause  the  most  uncultured  mind  to  see  who 
is  the  true  gentleman,  and  who  the  mere  pretender. 


468      LIFE  AND  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  H.  SPURGE  ON. 

Even  Soloman  was  not  always  wise. 

Indeed  he  was  the  greatest  fool  of  his  time.     He  • 
was   always   the   most   knowing,    but   not   always   the 
wisest  man. 

Every  fool  will  give  advice,  but  few  of  them  will 
take  it. 

Indeed  it  needs  much  good  sense  to  be  willing  to 
be  advised.  The  humility  and  self  diffidence  which 
will  submit  to  be  led  by  the  wisdom  of  the  really  pru- 
dent are  rarer  than  we  think. 

^very  girl  can  keep  house  better  than  her  mother 

till  she  tries. 

This  is  the  fault  of  many  young  folks ;  they  know 
nothing  about  a  matter,  but  yet  feel  that  they  could  do 
the  business  in  first  rate  style.  The  proof  of  the  pud- 
ding is  in  the  eating,  and  the  proof  of  the  work  is  in  the 
doing  and  the  lasting. 

Every    man    carries     an     enemy    inside     his     own 

waiscoat. 

He  had  better  watch  that  fellow,  or  he  will  be 
stabbing  at  his  heart  or  tampering  with  his  conscience. 

Every  one  is  wise  after  the  business  is  over. 

This  is  the  special  wisdom  of  the  unwise.  Yet  we 
could  all  do  much  better  if  we  had  to  do  it  over  again  ; 
at  least  we  think  so.  We  are  fools  enough  to  imagine 
that  we  should  not  be  fools  again. 

Every  peddler  sells  the  best  pins. 

At  least  he  says  so,  and  he  ought  to  know. 

Every  tub  must  stand  on  its  own  bottom. 

We  are  individually  accountable,  and  no  one  can 
hide  behind  another,  so  as  to  justify  himself. 


SALT-CELLARS.  469 

Everybody's  friend  is  nobody's  friend. 

His  universal  generosity  lies  all  in  talk.  He  is  not 
to  be  depended  on.  He  is  always  helping-  so  many 
that  he  cannot  come  to  your  aid. 

Everything  comes  to  the  man  who  can  wait. 

It  is  only  a  matter  of  time.  Patience  beholds  great 
wonders.  In  spiritual  things,  if  we  watch  and  wait, 
we  shall  see  glorious  things. 

Expect  nothing  from  those  who  promise  a  great  deal. 

Their  readiness  to  promise  should  make  you  more 
than  a  little  suspicious.  They  would  not  issue  so  many 
bank  notes  if  they  had  to  keep  enough  gold  in  the 
cellar  to  meet  them. 

Expectation  is  a  fool's  income. 

He  is  always  looking  for  something  which  has 
never  yet  occurred,  and  never  will  occur  in  his  time. 
His  ship  is  to  come  home,  but  as  yet  it  is  not  launched. 
He  has  an  estate  somewhere,  which  is  to  come  to  him 
when  we  have  a  week  all  Sundays,  but  at  present  the 
rightful  owner  is  depriving  him  of  it. 

Expensive  wife  makes  pensive  husband.   ■ 

When  the  draper's  bill  drains  his  pocket,  the  poor 
man  thinks  more  than  he  dares  to  say.  The  arithmetic 
of  a  good  wife  is  very  different.  She  adds  to  his  happi- 
ness, substracts  from  his  cares,  multiplies  his  joys, 
divides  his  sorrows,  and  practices  reduction  in  the 
expenditure  of  his  household. 

Face  to  face  clears  many  a  case. 

Quarrels  are  fomented  by  hearsay  statements  and 
reports.  Bring  the  parties  together  and  let  the  truth 
come  out. 


470      LIFE  AND  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  H.  SPURGEOX. 

Faint  heart  never  won  fair  lady. 

Faint  heart  sees  dangers  where  there  are  none,  and 
so  avoids  attempts  which  might  succeed.  Doubtless 
even  in  the  tender  business  of  courtship  this  operates 
to  the  young  man's  injury.  If  he  is  afraid  to  propose, 
he  can  hardly  expect  her  to  do  so. 

Feed  a  pig  and  you'll  have  a  hog 

Those  who  are  of  a  swinish  nature  only  grow  worse 
when  they  receive  either  kindness  or  consideration. 

Fight,  but  fight  only  with  yourself. 

Self  conquest  is  the  greatest  of  victories.  Many 
have  vanquished  all  others,  and  yet  have  been  slaves 
to  their  own  passions. 

First  practice  at  home,  then  preach  abroad. 

It  is  not  every  man  that  would  like  to  preach  to 
his  neighbors  from  his  own  doorstep. 

Folly  and  learning  may  live  under  one  hat. 

Book  learning  may  carry  a  man  far  from  truth  and 
common  sense ;  experience  is  needed,  and  grace  of 
God,  to  make  true  wisdom. 

Fools  should  never  set  on  eggs. 

They  will  addle  them  or  break  them,  but  never 
hatch  them.  This  saying  means  that  designs  which 
need  patient  attention  must  never  be  left  to  unwise 
people. 

Frogs  in  a  well  know  nothing  of  the  high  seas. 

Men  with  narrow  range  of  knowledge  and  expe- 
rience cannot  calculate  the  greatness  of  the  divine 
designs,  nor  even  understand  the  larger  ideas  of  more 
instructed  men. 


SALT-CELLARS.  471 

Give  the  birds  crumbs  ;   God  gives  you  loaves. 

In  the  winter  pay  the  birds  for  the  songs  of  spring 
by  feeding  them.  In  Sweden  a  sheaf  is  always  left  for 
the  birds. 

Go  after  wisdom,  or  it  will  never  come  to  you. 

A  suggestive  preacher  once  said,  ''Do  not  suppose 
that  wisdom  is  so  much  flattered  at  having  you  for  a 
pupil  that  she  will  set  you  easy  lessons,  and  yet  give 
you  the  gold  medal." 

Good  sees  good,  and  foul  sees  foul. 

This  accounts  for  the  various  reports  which  men 
give  concerning  the  moral  condition  of  a  neighbor- 
hood. Each  man  notices  that  which  is  after  his  own 
mind.  If  a  vulture  fly  over  a  region  he  would  spy  out 
carcases,  where  a  dove  would  note  clean  corn. 

Giving  is  generally  a  kind  of  fishing. 

They  give  a  sprat  to  catch  a  salmon.  Orientals  are 
great  at  this  art,  and  some  in  these  Western  parts  are 
becoming  proficient. 

Fretting  cares  make  grey  hairs. 

And  this  is  all  they  make.     What  is  the  use  of  them  ? 

Good  wives  if  they  were  sold 
Were  well  worth  crowns  of  gold. 

But  nobody  wishes  to  sell  them  ;  and  nobody  could 
buy  them  if  he  wished  to  do  so. 

Goose  and  gander  are  very  much  alike. 

What  is  true  of  woman  is  true  of  man,  for  bad  or 
good. 


472      LIFE  AND  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  II.  SPURGEON. 

Gossiping  and  lying  are  brother  and  sister. 

Alas,  for  the  misery  which  is  caused  by  a  long 
tongue!  The  quantity  of  the  gossip  could  not  be  kept 
up  if  it  were  restricted  to  truth,  and  so  evil  inventions 
are  added  thereto.  These  at  first  are  a  sort  of  spice 
and  flavoring,  but  in  time  they  become  the  principal 
ingredient.  A  modern  essayist  defines  gossip  as, 
"the  putting  of  two  and  two  together,  and  making  five 
of  them."     Say  fifty  and  you  are  nearer  the  mark. 

Great  oaks  were  once  little  acorns. 

Despise  not  the  day  of  small  things.  Despair  not 
because  your  strength  is  little.  Who  knows  what  you 
may  be  or  do. 

Great  weight  may  hang  on  small  wires. 

On  a  word  or  even  a  look  the  history  of  a  nation 
has  depended.  On  a  single  act  a  man's  whole  life  may 
turn. 

Grind  no  man's  name;   seek  other  grist. 

Yet  some  are  never  so  pleased  as  when  they  have 
a  gracious  man  between  their  millstones,  and  are  re- 
ducing his  character  to  dust. 

Guilt  on  the  conscience  puts  grief  on  the  counte- 
nance. 

Where  it  is  real  and  deep,  it  is  a  hard  matter  to 
conceal  conviction  of  sin.  This  heaviness  of  the  heart 
makes  a  man  stoop. 


APPENDIX. 


Death  of  Rev.  C.  H.  Spurgeon. 


"Knozv  ye  not  that  there  is  a  prince  and  a  great  man  fallen 
this  day  in  Israel?" 

Mr.  Spurgeon's  final  illness  began  in  June,  1891.  The  mes- 
sage of  sympathy  from  Mr.  Gladstone  was  appropriately 
answered  by  the  sufferer  with  his  own  trembling  hand.  This 
was  in  July.  He  made  a  brave  struggle  to  remain  in  London 
and  to  perform  occasionally  his  duties  at  the  Tabernacle,  but 
he  was  compelled  to  give  up  the  fight  in  October  and  yield 
wholly  to  his  physician.  On  the  26th  of  October  he  left 
his  home  and  London,  and,  in  company  with  Mrs.  Spurgeon, 
went  to  Calais,  France,  and  thence  to  Mentone.  It  was 
hoped  that  the  balmy  air  of  this  famous  resort  would  restore 
his  health.  The  change  brought  temporary  improvement, 
but  soon  complications  arose  that  baffled  the  physician's 
skill.  He  could  take  no  nourishment,  and  extreme  lassitude 
and  even  delirium  followed  at  intervals. 

During  November  and  December  there  occurred  alter- 
nating periods  of  hope  and  depression,  as  he  became  better 


The  reader  will  notice  that  the  appendix  begins  with  page  497-  This  is 
caused  not  by  any  omission  of  pages,  but  from  the  fact  that  the  full  page 
illustrations  are  included  in  numbering  the  appendix.  499 


500      LIFE  AND  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  H.  SPURGE  ON. 

or  worse.  He  was  strong  enough  at  times  to  walk  about, 
and  to  write  letters,  and  then  again  dangerous  symptoms 
returned.  Atone  time  hope  was  entertained  by  himself,  as 
well  as  by  his  friends,  that  God  had  heard  the  prayers  of  his 
people  for  the  invalid's  recovery,  and  had  blessed  the  means 
taken  for  his  complete  restoration  to  health. 

"New  Year's  day,  1892,  found  him  still  hopeful,  and  he  felt 
so  bright  that  he  was  able  to  make  a  short  address  to  the 
little  circle  of  friends  in  the  hotel  at  Mentone,  who  had  met 
to  greet  him  on  that  day.  He  also  sent  a  New  Year's  mes- 
sage to  his  congregation  at  the  Metropolitan  Tabernacle, 
London,  in  which  he  said  :  'What  a  joy  it  will  be  to  be 
within  measurable  distance  of  the  time  to  return  to  my  pulpit 
and  to  you.  I  have  not  reached  that  point  yet.  Now  may 
the  Lord  cause  the  cloud  of  blessing  to  burst  upon  you  in  a 
great  tropical  shozuer.     I  am  expecting  this.'  " 

"Even  as  late  as  January  9th  last,  he  was  still  hopeful  of 
being  restored  to  his  flock,  and  wrote  to  them  :  'Personally, 
I  scarcely  make  progress  during  this  broken  weather;  but 
the  doctor  says  I  hold  my  own,  and  that  is  more  than  he 
could  have  expected.  Whether  I  live  or  die,  I  would  say,  in 
the  words  of  Israel  to  Joseph,  "God  shall  be  with  you.'  " 

But  he  was  again  taken  alarmingly  ill  and  breathed  his  last 
at  Mentone,  Sunday,  January  31,  1892,  at  twenty  minutes  past 
eleven  o'clock  at  night,  (about  6  P.  M.  our  time,)  in  the  sSth 
year  of  his  age.  The  malady  that  terminated  his  eventful 
career  was  the  gout,  from  which  he  suffered  many  years. 
It  was  hereditary.  His  grandfather  often  said  to  him  : 
"Charles,  I  have  nothing  to  leave  to  you  but  my  gout,  but  I 
have  left  you  a  great  deal  of  that." 

Between  his  attacks  of  suffering  on  Saturday  he  was  able 
to  speak,  and  expressed  himself  as  anxious  to  send  a  mes- 


APPENDIX.  501 

sage  to  his  congregation.  He  thought  constantly  of  his  wife. 
It  was  early  Sunday  morning  that  he  relapsed  into  uncon- 
sciousness, which  continued  to  the  end.  He  did  not  recog- 
nize his  wife,  and  refused  all  food.  Milk  was  given  him  but 
he  did  not  retain  it.  The  end  was  painless,  the  great 
preacher  dying  without  a  struggle.  Besides  his  wife,  Dr. 
Fitzhenry,  Miss  Thorne,  Rev.  James  Spurgeon  and  his  wife, 
and  other  loving  friends  were  present. 

Dr.  H.  L.  Wayland  says:  "Every  November  he  found  it 
necessary  to  leave  his  work  and  seek  rest  in  the  delightful 
climate  of  the  South  of  France,  returning  late  in  the  winter 
with  renewed  vigor.  But  to  everything  there  comes  an  end. 
He  left  London  last  fall  more  than  usually  exhausted  and 
greatly  weakened  by  the  influenza,  and  probably  affected 
with  Bright's  disease.  Through  the  good  providence  of  God, 
his  wife,  so  long  an  invalid  and  unable  to  travel,  so  far 
recovered  her  strength  as  to  go  with  him.  Periods  of  hope 
alternated  with  gloom.  Probably  never  in  the  history  of 
man  was  there  more  earnest  and  united  prayer  than  for  him. 
The  people  of  the  Tabernacle  prayed  without  ceasing,  and 
from  tens  of  thousands  of  closets  all  over  Christendom  prayer 
was  made  by  the  church  for  him.  Why  these  prayers  were 
not  granted,  we  do  not  know.  Indeed,  that  they  were  heard 
and  in  some  way  answered,  we  most  fully  believe.  Grad- 
ually Mr.  Spurgeon  declined  ;  at  last,  consciousness  ceased  ; 
the  voice  of  his  wife  fell  on  unheeding  ears ;  she,  with  his 
son  and  with  officials  of  the  church,  went  with  him  to  the 
borders  of  the  river,  till  he  entered  the  stream  and  the 
waters  closed  over  him." 

During  all  this  eventful  Sunday  at  Mentone,  vast  crowds 
filled  the  Tabernacle  at  London ;  prayers  were  fervently 
uttered  and  telegraphic  bulletins  eagerly  sought  after. 


502      LIFE  AND  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  H.  SPURGEON. 

LAST  WORDS. 

We  have  not  yet  heard  what  were  his  last  words,  but  we 
need  no  last  words  to  assure  us  of  the  undying  hope  and 
trust  of  one  whose  whole  life,  and  every  word  and  deed, 
were  such  as  his.  He,  however,  has  left  us  words  spoken  or 
written  during  his  fatal  sickness  that  comport  with  his  life- 
long professions,  and  will  ever  be  remembered  among  his 
best  utterances. 

The    Christian    Herald   gives   the    following    interesting 

matter : 

LAST  CORRESPONDENCE. 

"Pastor  Spurgeon,  even  in  his  moments  of  keenest  pain, 
never  forgot  his  flock  who  in  turn  mourned  his  unavoidable 
absence  in  the  vain  search  for  renewed  health.  Every  week 
brought  from  Mentone  to  London  some  gentle  reminder  of 
his  kind  solicitude,  to  be  read  from  the  Tabernacle  pulpit  by 
his  substitute  and  assistant,  Rev.  Dr.  Pierson. 

"Some  of  these  letters  are  'pearls  of  the  faith,'  and  will 
undoubtedly  be  prized  and  cherished,  now  that  the  writer  is 
gone.  On  September  20,  1891,  he  wrote :  'The  affectionate 
and  effectual  prayers  of  the  saints  dragged  me  back  to  life, 
and  only  by  the  same  means  shall  I  recover  strength.  I  will 
not  touch  upon  my  present  affliction  ;  you  will  guess  at  it 
when  I  say  that,  although  the  stairs  of  my  bed-chamber  are 
v^ery  easy,  I  cannot  ascend  them,  but  have  to  be  carried  up 
by  others.  The  heart  as  yet  will  not  endure  that  even  small 
climb,  therefore  I  need  your  prayers  still ;  and  I  know  I 
shall  have  them,  for  your  love  never  ceases.' 

"Again  on  September  27,  he  wrote :  'If  sharp  pruning 
makes  fruit-bearing  branches  bring  forth  more  fruit,  it  is  not 
a  thing  to  be  lamented  when  the  great  Vine-dresser  turns 
his  knife  upon  us.    If  I  may  in  the  end  be  more  useful  to 


APPENDIX.  5°3 

you,  and  to  those  who  come  in  and  out  among  us,  I  shall 
rejoice  in  the  woes  which  I  have  endured.  May  you  each 
one  when  tried  with  sickness  improve  your  school-time,  that 
you  may  be  the  sooner  able  to  learn  and  know  all  the 
Master's  mind!' 

-And  on  October  10 :     'I  am  indeed  happy  in  being  borne 
up  by  the  prayers  of  saints  as  by  the  hands  of  angels.' 

"On  November  7,  he  wrote  these  expressive  sentences 
from  Mentone :  'I  am  far  away  in  body,  but  not  in  spirit.  I 
am  a  sick  man  physically,  but  in  heart  I  am  strong  in  the 
Lord.  A  great  waste  of  life-force  still  weakens  me  ;  but  it  is 
not  so  great  as  it  was,  and  he  who  has  spared  my  life  will  in 
his  own  right  time  spare  me  this  weakening  of  my  strength 
by  the  way.  It  is  a  great  trial  to  be  unable  to  preach  in  the 
pulpit,  but  it  is  no  small  comfort  to  be  able  to  preach 
through  the  press.  It  is  my  life  to  proclaim  the  everlasting 
Gospel  of  the  grace  of  God,  and  so  I  shall  live  and  speak 
long  after  I  am  dead.' 

"Death  was  drawing  very  near  to  Mr.  Spurgeon  when  on 
November  14,  last,  he  dictated  this-too  feeble,  now,  to 
write  with  his  own  pen :  'I  am  a  sick  man  who  has  narrowly 
escaped  the  hand  of  death,  and  I  feel  that  the  things  of 
eternity  ought  not  to  be  trifled  with.  To  be  saved  at  the 
last,  our  wisdom  is  to  be  saved  at  once.  If  I  had  left  my 
soul's  matters  for  a  sick  bed,  I  could  not  have  attended  to 
them  there,  for  I  was  delirious,  and  the  mind  could  not  fix 
itself  sensibly  upon  any  subject.  Before  the  cloud  lowers 
over  your  mind  give  your  best  attention  to  the  Word  of  the 

Lord.' 

"In  one  of  his  latest  sermons  at  the  Tabernacle  he  uttered 
a  pathetic  message,  which  conveyed  to  the  minds  of  hearers 
and  readers  that  he  had  a  premonition  of  his  approaching 


504      LIFE  AND  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  H.  SPURGEON 

separation  from  the  church  to  which  he  had  ministered 
thirty-nine  years.  He  took  the  opportunity  of  condensing 
into  one  thrilling  utterance,  the  essence  of  his  long  and 
successful  ministry.  In  the  light  of  recent  events,  it  seems 
almost  prophetic.    The  passage  is  as  follows  : 

A  PREMONITION  OF  THE  END. 

'Settle  this  in  your  heart:  "Whether  I  am  up  or  down, 
the  Lord  Jesus  is  the  same."  My  time  is  ended,  although  I 
had  much  more  to  say.  I  can  only  pray  the  Lord  to  give 
you  to  believe  in  him.  If  I  should  never  again  have  the 
pleasure  of  speaking  for  my  Lord  upon  the  face  of  this 
earth,  I  should  like  to  deliver,  as  my  last  confession  of  faith, 
this  testimony — that  nothing  but  faith  can  save  this  nine- 
teenth century ;  nothing  but  faith  can  save  England  ; 
nothing  but  faith  can  save  the  present  unbelieving  Church ; 
nothing  but  firm  faith  in  the  grand  old  doctrines  of  grace, 
and  in  the  ever-living  and  unchanging  God  can  bring  back 
to  the  Church  again  a  full  tide  of  prosperity,  and  make  her 
to  be  the  deliverer  of  the  nations  for  Christ ;  nothing  but 
faith  in  the  Lord  Jesus  can  save  you  or  me.  The  Lord  give 
you,  my  brothers,  to  believe  to  the  utmost  degree,  for  his 
name's  sake !    Amen.'" 

HONORS  TO  MR.  SPURGEON. 

The  coffin  containing  the  body  of  Rev.  Mr.  Spurgeon  was 
taken  to  the  Scotch  Church,  Mentone,  February  4th,  and 
impressive  services  were  held  over  the  body.  A  large  num- 
ber of  the  relatives,  friends  and  admirers  of  the  dead  clergy- 
man were  present,  and  the  church  was  not  large  enough  to 
hold  all  those  who  sought  admission.  After  the  delivery  of 
the  addresses  and  offering  of  prayers,  there  were  read  the 


APPENDIX.  505 

telegram  of  condolence  from  the  Prince  of  Wales  and  the 
message  from  Mr.  Moody,  the  American  evangelist.  At  the 
close  of  the  services  the  coffin  was  taken  to  the  railway 
station  for  conveyance  to  London. 

The  body  of  the  Rev.  Mr.  Spurgeon  arrived  at  New  Haven 
from  Mentone  at  five  o'clock,  morning,  February  8th.  Not- 
withstanding the  earliness  of  the  hour,  there  was  a  large 
assemblage  on  the  quay  awaiting  the  arrival  of  the  Channel 
steamer  which  brought  the  body  from  France.  Many  per- 
sons went  to  New  Haven  the  day  before  from  London,  and 
some  of  them  had  remained  up  all  night. 

The  coffin  was  taken  ashore  soon  after  the  steamer  arrived, 
and  as  it  was  carried  down  the  gangway  the  people  rever- 
ently bared  their  heads.  The  coffin  was  enclosed  in  a 
wooden  case,  and  before  it  was  taken  to  the  train  that  was  to 
convey  it  to  London  this  case  was  taken  off.  It  was  broken 
to  pieces,  and  the  crowd  eagerly  seized  upon  the  bits  of 
wood  and  carried  them  off  as  relics. 

All  the  deacons  and  elders  of  the  Metropolitan  Tabernacle, 
Mr.  Spurgeon's  church,  were  assembled  at  the  Victoria 
Station,  London,  when  the  train  bearing  the  body  arrived, 
and  an  enormous  crowd  was  in  the  station  and  about  the 
entrance.  A  long  line  of  coaches  was  waiting  at  the  gates 
of  the  station.  The  coffin  was  removed  from  the  train  and 
placed  in  a  hearse.  A  procession  was  then  formed,  and, 
following  the  hearse,  moved  slowly  to  the  Tabernacle. 

BURIAL    OF  SPURGEON. 

The  last  memorial  service  over  the  remains  of  the  Rev. 
Mr.  Spurgeon  was  held  Wednesday  night,  February  10.  The 
Metropolitan  Tabernacle  was  crowded,  and  the  services, 
which  were  not  concluded  until  after  midnight,  were  very 


5o6      LIFE  AND  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  H.  SPURGE  ON. 

solemn  and  impressive.  Thursday  morning  a  majority  of 
the  shops  in  the  vicinity  of  the  Tabernacle  were  closed  as  a 
mark  of  respect  to  the  dead  minister,  and  the  buildings  very 
generally  bore  mourning  emblems.  The  funeral  services 
opened  at  n  o'clock.  The  members  of  Mr.  Spurgeon's 
family  in  London,  the  Mayor  of  Croydon,  several  members 
of  the  House  of  Commons,  Lady  Burdette-Coutts  and  depu- 
tations from  sixty  religious  bodies  were  among  those  present. 

After  the  singing  of  the  last  hymn  that  Mr.  Spurgeon  had 
announced  before  he  was  taken  sick,  "The  Sands  of  Time 
Are  Sinking,"  the  Rev.  Mr.  Pierson,  the  American  minister 
who  filled  Mr.  Spurgeon's  pulpit  during  the  latter's  illness, 
made  a  most  eloquent  address.  He  dwelt  at  length  upon 
Mr.  Spurgeon's  powerful  influence.  A  cedar  of  Lebanon  has 
fallen,  he  said,  and  the  crash  of  its  downfall  has  shocked  the 
whole  land.  No  such  vacancy  has  been  felt  in  the  church 
for  a  century.  Mr.  Pierson  concluded  his  remarks  by  draw- 
ing parallels  between  the  work  done  by  Mr.  Spurgeon  and 
that  performed  by  John  Wesley.  After  the  offering  of 
prayers  and  the  singing  of  hymns,  Mr.  Pierson  pronounced 
the  benediction. 

The  olive-wood  coffin  containing  the  remains  was  then 
taken  from  the  catafalque,  upon  which  it  had  rested  since 
Monday  night,  and  conveyed  to  the  hearse  in  waiting  at  the 
main  entrance  of  the  Tabernacle.  As  it  was  borne  down  the 
aisle  the  entire  congregation  arose  and  joined  in  singing 
the  hymn,  "There's  No  Night  in  Homeland."  After  the 
mourners  had  entered  carriages  the  funeral  procession 
started  for  Norwood  Cemetery,  where  the  remains  will  be 
interred.  There  was  an  enormous  number  of  coaches  in  the 
procession,  and  the  entire  route  from  the  Tabernacle  to  the 
cemetery  was  lined  by  an  immense  concourse  of  people. 


APPENDIX.  507 

Three  mounted  policemen  preceded  the  hearse.  On  the 
coffin  lay  an  open  Bible.  The  sides  of  the  hearse  bore  the 
text,  "I  have  fought  a  good  fight,  I  have  finished  my  course, 
I  have  kept  the  faith."  As  the  cortege  moved  slowly  along, 
the  spectators  removed  their  hats  and  bowed  their  heads. 
The  bells  of  St.  Mary's  and  St.  Mark's  Churches  tolled 
solemnly  as  the  funeral  procession  passed.  The  flags  dis- 
played along  the  route  followed  by  the  procession  were  all 
at  half-mast. 

Places  of  business  between  Kensington  and  Clapham 
were  closed,  and  many  of  the  houses  had  their  blinds  drawn. 
The  children  from  the  Stockwell  Orphanage  occupied  a 
raised  platform  that  had  been  erected  for  their  use  at  a 
point  where  a  good  view  of  the  procession  could  be  had. 
This  platform  was  heavily  draped  with  black  and  other 
mourning  emblems.  A  large  number  of  persons  took  advan- 
tage of  the  deep  feeling  created  by  the  noted  divine's  death, 
and  they  did  a  brisk  trade  in  selling  Mr.  Spurgeon's  portraits, 
biographies  and  mourning  rosettes. 

TESTIMONIALS. 

The  morning  papers  in  London  contained  long  memorials 
and  obituary  articles  on  Mr.  Spurgeon.  The  Chronicle 
appeared  with  a  mourning  border.  It  compared  the  dead 
pastor  to  Martin  Luther.  The  Telegraph  characterized  him 
as  "A  great,  fearless  and  faithful  minister."  It  adds,  "Albeit 
of  homely  genius  and  eloquence,  all  agree  that  he  leaves  a 
void  that  will  be  filled  with  difficulty." 

The  Independent,  New  York  :  "Plain  Mr.  Spurgeon,  great 
in  his  simplicity  and  earnestness,  he  was  above  all  titles,  and 
he  wished  none  that  could  not  be  borne  by  the  humblest 
mechanic  or  serving-man.  But  the  world  honored  him  as  it 
honors  its  greatest  men  by  dropping  even  the  Mister,  and 
speaking  of  him  by  his  last  name  only,  Spurgeon,  just  as  we 


508       LIFE  AND  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  II.  SPURGEON: 

speak  of  Shakespeare  or  Milton  or  Gladstone.  His  name 
had  to  be  spoken  too  often  for  us  to  take  time  to  give  it  a 
prefix.  We  have  lost  the  greatest  preacher  of  his  day,  one 
of  the  greatest  the  world  has  ever  seen.  His  influence  has 
been  only  good.  It  is  such  men  that  are  the  true  successors 
of  the  Apostles." 

The  Churchman:  "The  greatest  Baptist  preacher  of  the 
day,  we  might  almost  say  of  any  day,  has  gone  to  his  well- 
earned  rest.  Charles  Haddon  Spurgeon  was  a  man  who  has 
filled  a  large  place,  and  who,  we  can  fearlessly  say,  has  left 
no  successor.  He  was  not  an  orator  in  the  sense  that 
Punshon  was  an  orator.  It  would  be  quite  absurd  to  mention 
him  as  a  speaker  in  the  same  breath  with  Liddon  or  Magee. 
Nevertheless,  he  always  exercised  a  distinct  influence  on  the 
religious  world  of  England.  His  power  was  felt  far  beyond 
the  walls  of  that  huge  tabernacle  where  for  thirty  years  he 
held  a  congregation  of  5,000  hanging  breathlessly  on  his  lips. 
What  John  Knox  was  in  Scotland,  what  Martin  Luther  was 
in  Germany,  what  Wesley  in  his  day  was  in  England,  so  has 
Spurgeon  been  to  his  time  and  generation.  It  is  no  exag- 
geration to  say  that  the  non-conformist  pulpit  in  England  has 
been  a  great  preservative  of  Christianity  among  the  masses. 
Greatest  in  that  pulpit  there  was  Spurgeon.  He  was  not  a 
learned  man  ;  his  presence  was  not  commanding  ;  he  was  not 
a  literary  nor  a  topical  preacher.  Eloquence  is  a  difficult 
thing  to  define.  A  great  preacher  is  a  preacher  who  pro- 
duces and  maintains  a  profound  spiritual  impression.  This 
impression  was  habitually  produced  by  Spurgeon,  and  it  was 
produced  upon  people  who  cannot  appreciate  subtle  argu- 
ment, delicate  fancy,  or  strong  originality.  Of  course,  what 
Aristotle  calls  the  ethos  of  the  speaker,  his  moral  weight  as 
a  man,  had  much  to  do  with  Spurgeon's  success.     His  sim- 


JPPEATDTX.  509 

plicity  of  life,  his  sweetness  of  speech,  his  intense  earnestness 
and  reality  won  the  heart  and  confidence  of  a  hearer.  But 
Spurgeon's  example  as  a  preacher  is  instructive  from 
another  point  of  view.  Independently  of  the  vivid  power 
exercised  by  Spurgeon  as  a  believer,  as  a  man  of  intense 
convictions,  his  method  as  a  teacher  of  Christianity  is 
well  worth  studying  in  these  days  of  pulpit  oddities, 
socialistic  and  scientific  preachers,  sensationalism,  and  half- 
veiled  unbelief  in  pulpit  and  pew.  Spurgeon,  like  Bunyan, 
was  homely  in  language,  and  sometimes  humorous.  But  of 
all  the  qualities  that  made  him  and  his  life  a  defence  of 
Christianity  was  his  knowledge  and  ready  application  of  the 
Bible,  as  containing  the  inspired  Word  of  God,  to  the  lives 
and  needs  of  ordinary  men.  The  Bible  was  his  oracle,  and 
he  made  it  the  oracle  of  his  hearers.  He  was  a  Scriptural 
preacher,  a  textual  preacher.  He  proved  how  potent  is  the 
language  of  the  sacred  book,  how  completely  it  serves  for 
the  guide  and  inspiration  of  human  lives.  There  have  been 
many  preachers  more  learned  than  Spurgeon,  many  more 
original.  The  pulpits  of  America  and  England  have  recently 
sounded  forth  much  that  is  gorgeous  and  convincing,  and 
have  echoed  the  best  examples  of  the  sermon  from  Chrysos- 
tom  to  Phillips  Brooks,  but  this  century  has  not  heard  a 
voice  raised  for  Christ  with  so  complete  a  mastery  of  Scrip- 
ture thought  and  language  as  was  exhibited  by  Spurgeon, 
who  has  left  a  precedent  and  an  example  as  a  man  mighty 
in  the  Scriptures  which  no  preacher,  of  whatsoever  church 
or  denomination,  can  afford  to  disregard." 

The  Examiner :  "It  is  not  too  much  to  say  that  the  whole 
Christian  world  has  been  saddened  by  the  death  of  the  Rev. 
Charles  H.  Spurgeon,  which  occurred  at  Mentone,  France, 
at  a  late  hour  Sunday  night.     His  genius  and  personal  force 


510      LIFE  AND  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  H.  SPURGEON. 

has  made  his  name  dearly  cherished  for  a  generation,  not 
only  among  Baptists,  but  with  all  of  them,  of  whatever 
name,  that  love  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  in  sincerity." 

The  Advocate  (M.  E  )  estimates  him  as  "the  greatest  Evan- 
gelical preacher  since  John  Wesley,  and  the  most  powerful 
personality  in  the  pastorate  since  the  rise  of  Protestantism." 

Dr.  Landrum  in  the  Religious  Herald:  "Spurgeon  is  at 
home,  not  again  in  the  Metropolitan  Tabernacle,  but  in  'the 
house  not  made  with  hands,  eternal  in  the  heavens.'  The 
greatest  preacher  of  the  age  is  silent.  'The  holiest  among 
the  mighty  and  the  mightiest  among  the  holy'  of  our  times 
rests  in  the  bosom  of  his  God.  Christendom,  regardless  of 
church  or  creed,  mourns  its  foremost  exponent  of  divine 
grace  and  human  virtue.  Great  Britain,  and  'the  Greater 
Britain  which  belts  the  globe,'  as  well,  because  of  love  for 
the  mother  country,  has  been  twice  bereaved  of  late,  but 
not  for  such  as  Spurgeon.  No  prince  of  the  blood  and  heir- 
presumptive  to  the  crown  was  he  ;  no  venerable  prelate  of 
an  ancient,  opulent  and  haughty  church,  but  something  far 
more  excellent.  Rank  and  title  he  did  not  heed.  They 
would  have  only  belittled  him.  Spurgeon  was  nature's 
nobleman,  a  prince  in  Israel,  a  herald  of 'the  glorious  gospel 
of  the  blessed  God.'  England  was  but  the  platform  on 
which  his  pulpit  stood,  while  the  earth  was  his  parish  and 
his  audience  earth's  millions,  eager  to  hear  the  best  news 
from  heaven.  With  Spurgeon  gone,  the  colossal  figure  of 
the  religious  world  has  fallen." 

Dr.  W.  E.  Hatcher,  in  the  Baltimore  Baptist:  "It  adds 
immeasurably  to  the  altitude  and  beauty  of  Spurgeon's  life 
to  remember  that  he  came  up  from  the  bottom.  Neither 
fortune  nor  education  favored  him.  The  humbleness  of  his 
origin  was  a  thing  of  which  he  never  was  ashamed.    He  said 


APPENDIX.  511 

that  his  ancestors  came  from  Belgium,  and  likely  enough 
had  toiled  at  the  Belgium  looms  and  had  suffered  for  their 
faith.  It  was  something  for  him  to  say  in  a  country  where 
men  are  judged  by  their  blood,  rather  than  by  their  merit, 
that  he  would  rather  be  descended  from  those  who  had  suf- 
fered for  the  gospel  than  to  have  in  his  veins  the  blood  of  all 
the  emperors.  His  character  is  a  shaft  whose  base  is  in  the 
valley  and  whose  top  is  above  the  clouds.  He  never  could 
have  ascended  so  splendidly  if  he  had  not  started  so  low. 
In  his  boyhood  he  was  a  toiling  usher  in  the  school ;  but  in 
his  full  manhood  he  was  the  princeliest  preacher  of  the 
world,  and  his  name  was  the  delight  of  Christendom.  Those 
who  got  near  to  Spurgeon  found  that  his  crowning  charm 
was  goodness.  He  was  the  soul  of  sincerity.  While  a  gen- 
tleman in  every  instinct  and  habit,  he  was  an  absolute 
stranger  to  those  conventional  disguises  and  those  diplo- 
matic intrigues  which  many  public  men  consider  indispen- 
sable to  their  success.  One  could  not  come  into  his  presence 
and  hear  him  talk  without  feeling  intensely  the  gentleness, 
modesty  and  transparency  of  his  nature.  God  reigned  in 
him,  and  his  life  was  the  outshining  of  virtue,  truth  and 
righteousness.  Some  said  that  he  was  not  great,  and  others 
charge  that  he  was  lacking  in  practical  wisdom,  but  not  one 
denied  that  he  was  good.  He  was  charmingly  free  from 
individualism,  and  really  knew  not  what  it  was  to  speak  well 
of  his  own  performances.  For  God  he  had  the  fullest  rever- 
ence and  love;  for  men  he  had  affection  and  sympathy,  and 
for  himself  severe  condemnation  of  all  that  was  unworthy, 
and  a  ready  confession  of  his  weakness  and  sin." 

Prof.  William  C.  Wilkinson  :  "In  writing  this  paper  for  the 
Independent,  I  yield  to  the  urgent  request  of  the  editor.  But 
I  never  so  reluctantly   yielded    to    such  editorial    request 


512      LIFE  AND  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  H.  SPURGEON. 

before.  I  spring  joyfully,  indeed,  at  the  thought  of  paying 
grateful,  admiring  and  affectionate  tribute  to  a  dear  and 
honored  memory ;  but  my  heart  is  too  heavy  with  grief  for 
any  proper  buoyancy  of  mind.  A  great  light  has  gone  out 
in  the  sky,  and  I  seem  to  feel,  in  something  more  than  my 
own  just  measure,  the  darkening  of  the  world.  How  well  I 
remember  when  the  news  first  came  across  the  Atlantic — it 
must  have  been  about  the  year  1855 — that  a  young  preacher 
in  London  was  renewing,  and  more  than  renewing,  the  pulpit 
triumphs  of  Whitefield  and  of  Edward  Irving !  I  was  myself 
at  that  time  still  a  student  in  college,  and  this  young  preacher, 
already  famous  by  the  then  novel  name  of  Spurgeon,  was 
only  of  an  age  about  equal  to  my  own.  During  all  the  time 
succeeding  until  now,  a  period  beyond  the  space  of  a  human 
generation,  Mr.  Spurgeon  has  not  for  one  moment  intermitted 
to  be  upon  the  whole  the  most  popular,  and,  let  us  not  hesi- 
tate to  say,  the  greatest  preacher  in  the  world.  It  is  a  long 
term  of  activity  and  of  world-wide  renown  that  Mr.  Spurgeon 
has  thus  been  permitted  to  fulfill.  But  he  has  fallen  in  the 
very  meridian  of  his  days,  and  his  career  seems  prematurely 
cut  short.  In  boldly  pronouncing  Mr.  Spurgeon  the  greatest 
preacher  in  the  world,  of  his  time,  I  have  indeed  be<;n, 
perhaps  not  bold  enough.  It  is  not  likely  that,  if  all  the 
just  conditions  of  comparison  were  adequately  taken  into 
account,  Mr.  Spurgeon  might  appear  to  be  conspicuously  the 
greatest  preacher  of  all  times  since  the  age  of  the  Apostles. 
However  this  may  be,  certain  it  is  that,  besides  being  fore- 
most among  his  peers  as  a  preacher,  this  prodigious  man 
has,  during  three  decades  of  years,  been  also  one  of  the 
most  fruitful  and  most  steadily  popular  of  authors.  When  it 
is  added,  that  he  has  exhibited  one  of  the  most  successfully 
organific  minds,  one  of  the  most  stimulating  and  sustaining 
forces  of  personal  character  anywhere  coevally  at  play  among 


APPENDIX  513 

men  ;  and  further  beyond  all  this,  that  he  has  meantime 
been  distinctively  a  teacher  of  preachers  past  comparison 
more  influential  than  any  one  of  his  fellows  and  contempo- 
raries in  that  vocation,  something  like  a  just  estimate  in 
outline  has  been  projected  of  the  magnitude  of  what  the 
world  has  so  long  been  enjoying  in  Mr.  Spurgeon,  and  of 
what  it  has  now  lost  in  his  death.  Of  course,  it  is  not  what 
Mr  Spurgeon  was,  that  I  mean  in  speaking  of  the  loss  that 
his  death  brings  to  the  world  ;  for  what  Mr.  Spurgeon  was, 
the  world  has  not  lost.  The  past  at  least  is  secure,  and  that 
is  immortal.  The  world  has  lost  only  what  Mr.  Spurgeon 
might  have  been  in  the  many  unaccomplished  years,  the 
hope  of  which  was,  until  lately,  large  and  lucid  round  his 
brow." 

President  H.  G.  Weston:  "He  was  the  greatest  preacher 
since  the  time  of  the  Apostles.  There  is  not  such  another 
instance  in  the  Christian  history.  Not  for  one  week,  but  for 
almost  forty  years,  there  was  not  a  fluctuation,  not  an  ebb  of 
the  tide.  Has  there  been  a  death  like  this  during  the 
Christian  era  ?  Has  there  been  a  man  whose  death  touched 
so  many  hearts?  And  all  this  was  honestly  won.  There 
was  no  endeavor  to  drum  up  a  congregation  ;  no  compro- 
mise ;  but  honest,  bold  presentation  of  the  truth,  that  won 
every  heart  which  loved  the  truth.  During  a  series  of  sum- 
mers in  London  I  found  myself  every  Sunday  morning  in 
my  accustomed  seat  at  the  Tabernacle.  I  often  asked 
myself,  'Why  am  I  here  ?  Canon  Liddon  is  preaching  at  St. 
Paul's ;  Dr.  Vaughn  at  the  Temple  Church ;  Canon  Farrar 
at  St.  Margaret's.'  But  when  he  began  to  speak  every 
doubt  vanished  and  I  felt  that  I  was  in  a  higher  atmosphere. 
Why  ?  He  put  himself  in  such  a  relation  to  his  hearers  that 
they  were  all  his  friends.    Not  an  orator,  he  therefore  laid 


514      LIFE  AND  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  H.  SPURGEOtf. 

hold  of  the  whole  congregation.  It  was  the  perfection  of  an 
oral  address.  He  stood  and  talked.  His  English  was  per- 
fect;  he  filled  the  cup  of  your  mind  just  full.  There  was  noth- 
ing to  repel,  but  everything  to  attract.  You  could  not  resist 
him  as  he  stood  there  on  the  quarter  deck.  Very  noticeable 
was  his  denial  of  self,  quite  different  from  self  denial.  His 
reticence  kept  him  within  clearly  defined  limits.  You  kept 
saying,  'How  much  more  you  know  than  you  say!'  He  was 
a  spiritual  preacher.  There  was  nothing  to  make  you  know 
to  what  nation  he  belonged.  There  was  no  English  accent. 
His  sermons  might  have  been  preached  in  any  century.  You 
only  knew  that  he  was  a  preacher  of  the  gospel.  It  was  a 
marvelous  congregation.  Here  sat  a  trustee  of  Princeton 
Seminary  ;  there  a  literary  man,  without  any  belief;  there  a 
tourist.  His  sermons  were  read  everywhere,  on  the  frontier, 
on  shipboard,  in  Australia,  in  New  Zealand.  Do  you  believe 
that  God  so  endowed  this  man  for  the  forty  years  which  he 
labored  ?  I  look  forward  to  the  eternity  beyond ;  and  I 
cannot  more  justly  close  these  remarks  than  by  the  words, 
'Let  me  go,  for  the  day  breaketh.'  " 

Dr.  George  Dana  Boardman  :  "An  affectionate  husband 
and  father  ;  a  steadfast  friend  ;  a  genial  neighbor  ;  a  sturdy 
patriot ;  a  national  benefactor ;  a  consistent  Christian ;  a 
devoted  minister ;  a  loyal  ambassador  ;  a  Biblical  unfolder ; 
an  unwavering  believer ;  a  conservative  theologian ;  a  watch- 
ful sentinel;  a  courageous  prophet;  an  acute  observer;  a 
self-reliant  thinker ;  a  lucid  expresser ;  a  quaint  aphorist ;  an 
honest  orator;  a  sympathetic  interpreter;  a  melodious 
speaker ;  a  wholesome  author ;  a  wise  counsellor ;  a  saga- 
cious projector ;  a  practical  philanthropist ;  a  tireless 
upbuilder ;  a  master  organizer ;  a  born  metropolitan ;  a 
conscientous  steward;  a  patient  sufferer;  in  brief,  Christ's 


APPENDIX.  515 

conspicuously  consecrated  servant : — Charles  Haddon  Spur- 
geon  has  overcome,  and  is  sitting  down  with  his  Master  in 
his  throne,  even  as  his  Master  had  overcome,  and  is  sitting 
down  with  his  Father  in  his  throne.  I  heard  a  voice  from 
heaven  saying,  Write,  Blessed  are  the  dead  who  die  in  the 
Lord  from  henceforth  :  yea,  saith  the  Spirit,  that  they  may 
rest  from  their  labors  ;  for  their  works  follow  with  them." 


THE   HEROIC  LIFE. 


fiForif  ye  love  them  which  love  you,  what  thank  have  ye? 
for  sinners  also  love  those  that  love  them.  And  if  ye  do  good 
to  them  which  do  good  to  you,  zvhat  thank  have  ye  ?  for  sinners 
also  do  even  the  same.  And  if  ye  lend  to  them  of  whom  ye 
hope  to  receive,  what  thank  have  ye  ?  for  sinners  also  lend  to 
sinners,  to  receive  as  much  again." — Luke  6  :  32-34. 

All  the  discourses  of  Jesus  are  the  words  of  God  to  our 
soul,  whether  they  convey  to  us  instruction,  warning,  rebuke, 
invitation  or  consolation.  Yet  have  I  known  professors  who 
would  fain  rend  the  Master's  vesture  that  they  might  have 
only  the  softest  part  of  it  to  be  a  pillow  for  their  idle  heads. 
"That,"  they  say,  "was  a  Gospel  sermon,  sweet  food  for  our 
souls,"  because  it  happened  to  tell  of  what  Christ  has  done 
for  us  ;  but  on  the  next  occasion  they  cry  out,  "That  was  not 
a  Gospel  sermon  ;  it  was  legal ;  it  laid  a  burden  upon  our 
shoulders,"  because  it  dared  to  tell  of  what  Christ  has  com- 
manded us  to  do  for  him.  Such  men,  it  seems  to  me,  accept 
Christ  for  a  servant  rather  than  for  a  Master.  Feeling  certain 
that  you  are  not  of  that  order  of  religious  cavillers,  but  that 


This  sermon,  by  the  late  Rev.  C.  H.  Spurgeon,  is  one  of  his  latest 
and  his  was  truly  a  heroic  life.  517 


5 IS      LIFE  AND  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  H.  SPURGEON. 

you  will  accept  anything  that  comes  from  Christ,  I  am  glad 
to  have 

A  PRACTICAL  SUBJECT. 

We  live  under  a  spirit  whose  law  is  perfection,  and  there- 
fore a  little  fault  causes  us  much  self-condemnation.  We 
judge  ourselves  by  a  severer  rule  than  we  would  apply  to 
others  ;  for  our  privileges  and  responsibilities  are  exception- 
ally great.  I  allow  in  other  men  what  I  would  denounce  in 
myself.  I  could  approve  in  some  men  actions  which  to  me 
also  would  be  lawful  but  would  not  be  expedient,  upon  the 
higher  rule  of  glorifying  God  in  all  things.  When  I  have 
heard  of  certain  deeds  of  unconverted  and  unenlightened 
men  I  have  excused  them,  saying,  "Poor  souls,  considering 
who  they  were,  and  where  they  were,  their  conduct  is  not  so 
heavily  to  be  blamed  ;"  and  yet  if  I  had  behaved  one-half  as 
badly  there  would  have  been  rebellion  and  presumption  in 
the  deed. 

If  you  are  what  you  profess  to  be,  my  brethren,  more  is 
expected  from  you  than  from  any  other  men  beneath  the  sun, 
and  therefore  I  shall  throw  aside  all  hesitancy  in  setting 
before  you  a  supreme  standard,  and  asking  of  you  what  we 
never  can  get  from  sinners,  nor  from  men  of  the  world. 
Know  ye  not  that  your  Lord  has  said,  "Except  your  right- 
eousness shall  exceed  the  righteousness  of  the  scribes  and 
Pharisees,  ye  shall  in  no  case  enter  the  kingdom  of  heaven  ?" 

I.  Our  first  observation  in  plunging  into  our  discourse  is 
this.    Much  that  is  naturally  good 

MAY  FALL  FAR  SHORT 

of  Christian  character.  Do  not  make  the  mistake  of  saying 
that  moral  excellence  is  not  good.  Some  have  broadly 
declared  that  there  is  no  good  thing  in  an  unconverted  man  ; 


APPENDIX.  519 

but  this  is  scarcely  true.  It  will  generally  be  so  understood 
that  its  meaning  will  be  false,  and  that  is  a  great  pity  ;  we 
must  not  utter  falsehood  in  order  to  honor  God  ;  there  is  a 
great  deal  of  good — good  under  certain  senses  and  aspects 
of  the  term  "good" — in  many  unconverted  people.  Many 
who  are  total  strangers  to  the  grace  of  God  yet  exhibit 
sparkling  forms  of  the  human  virtues  in  integrity,  generosity, 
kindness,  courage,  self-sacrifice  and  patience.  I  could  wish 
that  some  who  call  themselves  Christians  were  in  certain 
respects  as  good  as  others  whom  I  know  of  who  have  never 
bore  the  Christian  name.  It  is  always  right  to  speak  the 
truth,  and  truth  obliges  me  to  say  as  much  as  this. 

Observe  the  three  things  mentioned  in  the  text  against 
which  there  is  no  law,  but  of  which  much  is  to  be  spoken  in 
commendation.  These  acts  are  good,  but  they  do  not  come 
up  to 

CHRIST'S    STANDARD. 

The  first  mentioned  is,  "If  ye  love  them  which  love  you.  ' 
Thousands  have  never  reached  so  high  as  this  standard.  "If 
ye  love  them  which  love  you."  But  even  if  we  reach  as  high 
as  that  it  is  by  no  means  a  great  attainment :  is  it  ?  Our 
Lord  says  that  sinners  also  love  those  that  love  them.  Grace 
is  not  needed  to  make  a  man  the  loving  husband  of  a  tender 
wife  ;  grace  is  not  needed  to  make  affectionate  sons  and 
daughters ;  we  see  them  all  around  us.  I  am  sure  it  does 
not  require  grace  in  the  hearts  of  the  bulk  of  you  to  make 
you  feel  kindly  towards  those  who  treat  you  in  a  friendly 
manner;  "sinners  also  love  those  that  love  them."  You 
have  all  come  as  far  as  that,  and  such  feeling  is  good,  the 
more  of  it  the  better  ;  yet  it  is  not  up  to  the  mark  of  Christ's 
teaching  if  it  stands  alone.  Can  you  love  those  who  have 
belied  your  character,  who  have  done  the  best  they  can  to 


520      LIFE  AND  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  H.  SPURGEON. 

ruin  you,  and  who  will  do  the  same  again?  Can  you  feel 
towards  them  an  earnest  desire  for  their  present  and  eternal 
welfare  ?  If  you  could  do  them  good  would  you  delight  to 
do  it,  and  repeat  the  deed  until  you  had  made  them  too 
happy  to  be  malicious,  too  much  indebted  to  continue  at 
enmity?    This  would  be  glorious  indeed. 

GOD-LIKENESS. 

This  is  high,  and  I  think  I  hear  some  one  say,  "I  cannot 
attain  unto  it ;  I  can  love  those  that  love  me,  but  loving 
those  that  hate  me  is  another  business  ;  I  shall  have  to  look 
at  the  matter  two  or  three  times  before  I  attempt  it."  I  dare 
say  you  will,  my  friend,  and  hence  it  is  that  it  needs  the  work 
of  God  Himself  to  make  us  Christians.  Godliness  is  God- 
likeness,  and  this  is  not  easy  to  attain. 

The  next  thing  in  the  verses  before  us  is  grateful  return. 
"If  ye  do  good  to  them  which  do  good  to  you,  what  thank 
have  ye?"  It  is  a  very  right  thing  that  if  persons  have 
served  us  we  should  endeavor  to  .repay  the  benefit.  By 
common  consent  "one  good  turn  deserves  another."  It  is 
certainly  a  horrible  thing  that  men  should  be  ungrateful ; 
but  yet  supposing  that  you,  dear  hearer,  are  grateful,  and 
have  lately  taken  special  pains  to  do  good  to  one  who  afore- 
time was  good  to  you,  what  thank  have  you  ?  You  have 
done  what  you  ought  to  have  done,  and  no  more ;  you  have 
paid  an  old  debt  as  every  honest  man  should  do,  but  this 
does  not  prove  you  to  be  a  Christian,  for  Christianity  in- 
cludes this,  and  rises  above  it  like  an  Alp  above  the  sur- 
rounding plain. 

Followers  of  Jesus  are  called  upon  to  do  good  to  those 
who  have  done  them  harm.  You  know  the  old  saying,  evil 
for  good   is  devil-like,  evil  for  evil  is  beast-like,  good  for 


APPENDIX.  521 

good  is  man-like,  good  for  evil  is  God-like.  Rise  you  to 
that  God-like  point.  If  a  man  has  taken  the  bread  out  of 
your  mouth,  seize  the  first  opportunity  to  help  him  to  a  live- 
lihood. If  he  has  bespattered  you,  be  ready  to  forgive  him, 
but  say  not  a  word  against  him.  Watch  for  a  time,  when  by 
great  kindness  you  may  heap  coals  of  fire  on  his  head. 
"Hard  teaching,"  says  one.  I  know  it  is,  and  harder  doing, 
but  it  is  blessed  doing.  It  is  sweet  to  render  good  for  ill ! 
There  is  a  self-conquest  about  it  which  ennobles  the  soul  more 
than  the  conquest  of  an  empire ;  there  is  a  getting  near  to 
Christ  in  such  actions  that  is  more  of  heaven  than  all  beside. 

NEIGHBORLY    HELP. 

Again,  you  note  in  the  thirty-fourth  verse  that  mention  is 
made  of  helping  others  in  a  neighborly  way  with  the  ex- 
pectation of  their  returning  the  friendly  deed.  "If  ye  lend 
to  them  of  whom  ye  hope  to  receive,  what  thank  have  ye." 
Temporary  help  is  often  rendered  in  the  expectation  that,  if 
ever  we  are  in  the  same  need,  we  shall  only  need  to  ask  and 
receive  like  aid.  I  help  you  and  you  help  me — a  very  popu- 
lar thing  to  do,  and  the  more  of  such  brotherly  and  neigh- 
borly co-operation  the  better,  but  still  there  is  nothing  so 
very  virtuous  in  it.  "What  thank  have  ye,  for  sinners 
also  lend  to  sinners  to  receive  as  much  again."  You  as  a 
Christian  are  to  rise  to  something  higher  than  this — namely, 
to  be  ready  to  help  without  the  expectation  of  being  helped 
again,  ready  to  aid  those  who,  you  are  certain,  could  not 
help  you,  who  are  too  poor  ever  to  come  to  your  rescue;  ay, 
and  ready  to  help  those  who  would  not  help  you  if  they 
could,  who  may  even  return  your  kindness  with  words  of 
falsehood  and  acts  of  unkindness.  Can  you  rise  to  this  ?  for 
this  is  to  be  a  Christian,  this  is  to  be  like  your  heavenly 


522      LIFE  AND  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  H.  SPURGEON. 

Father.    Thus,  brethren,  I  think  I  have  shown  you  that  there 
are  certain  good  things  in  the  world  which  do  not  reach  to 

THE   STANDARD  OF  CHRISTIAN  VIRTUE. 

This  holds  good  of  all  religious  actions.  You  go  to  the 
house  of  God  ;  so  do  the  heathens  go  to  the  house  of  their 
god.  You  spend  certain  times  in  prayer;  so  do  the  Mahom- 
medans.  You  are  very  devout ;  so  are  Parsees.  You  are 
known  to  be  a  religious  man;  so  were  a  great  many  who 
have  turned  out  to  be  rogues.  You  are  a  deacon  or  other 
church  officer  ;  yes,  so  were  certain  bank  directors  who  were 
none  the  more  honest  for  that.  But  you  are  a  preacher,  yes, 
and  so  was  Judas,  who  hanged  himself  and  so  went  to  his 
own  place.  Religious  acts  count  for  nothing  unless  there  is 
a  true  heart  at  the  back  of  them.  These  things  ought  we  to 
have  done,  but  if  we  leave  heart  work  undone  nothing  is  done. 

Oh,  it  shames  me  when  I  sit  down  and  look  over  my  life 
and  enquire,  "Is  this  a  life  a  Christian  ought  to  live?"  Does 
not  the  same  question  arise  in  your  minds  ?  Do  you  not  feel 
in  many  points  that  even  unconverted  men  have  excelled 
you  ?  Do  you  not  know  some  persons  who  are  no  Christians 
who  are,  nevertheless,  more  patient  than  you  in  the  endur- 
ance of  pain  ?  Do  you  not  know  unbelievers  who  are  gen- 
erous to  a  high  degree,  and  show  much  of  self-sacrifice  in 
helping  their  poor  neighbors  ?  Do  you  not  know  men  whose 
devotion  to  science  is  greater  than  your  devotion  to  Christ  ? 
What  manner  of  person  ought  I  to  be,  when  those  who  do 
not  profess  to  know  the  mysteries  of  everlasting  love  rise  to 
such  courage  in  battle,  such  endurance  in  pushing  over  seas 
of  ice  ?  If  even  a  text  like  this  staggers  me,  and  I  say  it  is  a 
hard  lesson,  where,  where  must  I  be  in  the  sight  of  God, 
who  sees  all  my  failures  ? 


APPENDIX.  523 

II  I  want  you  to  notice  that  Christian  virtue  is  in  many 
ways  extraordinary,  and 

MIGHT  BE  CALLED   HEROIC. 

To  illustrate  this,  I  will  confine  myself  to  the  gospel  accord- 
ing to  Luke.  In  the  passage  we  have  been  reading  we  have 
evidently  a  form  of  virtue  which  is  quite  out  of  the  ordinary 
range  of  men's  thoughts.  It  concerns  love.  "Love  your 
enemies,  do  good  to  them  that  hate  you,  and  pray  for  them 
which  despitefully  use  you."  In  the  point  of  love,  kindness, 
consideration  for  men's  needs,  and  desire  to  do  good,  the 
Christian  life  is  to  rise  above  every  other  till  it  becomes 
sublime.  Heathen  moralists  recommended  kindness,  but 
they  did  not  suggest  its  being  lavished  upon  enemies.  I 
have  been  somewhat  amused  by  the  caution  of  Cicero.  He 
says:  "Kindness  must  not  be  shown  to  a  youth,  nor  to  an 
old  man  ;  not  to  the  aged,  because  he  is  likely  to  die  before 
he  can  have  an  occasion  to  repay  you  the  benefit ;  and  not  to 
the  young  man,  for  he  is  sure  to  forget  it."  Those  of  us  who 
are  middle-aged  may  value  the  orator's  generosity  as  we 
like,  but  we  may  reflect  that  he  only  recommends  its  exer- 
cise towards  us  because  we  are  likely  to  be  good  debtors, 
and  pay  back  what  we  receive,  perhaps,  with  interest.  That 
gentle  laugh  which  ripples  over  the  congregation  is  the  best 
refutation  of  such  barefaced  selfishness.  Our  Lord  bids  us 
seek  no  reward  from  men,  and  he  assures  us  that  then  a 
greater 

REWARD  WILL  COME. 

Next,  read  Luke  9:  54,  55,  and  you  will  see  that  the  Chris- 
tian is  to  rise  above  human  passion  in  the  matter  of  gentle- 
ness. A  Christian  should  be  ready  to  give  way;  he  should 
be  quiet,  peaceable,  gentle.     If  in  trying  to  do  good,  he 


524      LIFE  AND  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  H.  SPURGEON. 

wishes  to  bless  certain  people,  and  they  refuse  to  hear  him, 
let  him  not  grow  indignant  and  denounce  the  offenders,  but 
let  him  change  the  scene  and  carry  his  message  to  those  who 
perhaps  are  hungering  for  it.  He  may  go  round  again  very 
shortly  to  those  who  repulsed  him  and  find  them  in  a  better 
mind.  Be  gentle,  brother ;  soft  words  are  hard  to  answer. 
They  refused  you  at  first,  try  them  again ;  at  any  rate,  be  not 
provoked,  for  then  they  will  have  conquered  you. 

The  true  believer  is  to  be  willing  to  bear  reproach ;  ay, 
and  to  bear  much  more  than  reproach,  as  saints  of  God  have 
done  time  out  of  mind.  So  far  from  flinching  from  suffering, 
we  are  not  even  to  give  it  a  thought  as  to  how  we  shall  speak 
if  we  are  brought  before  kings  and  rulers,  for  a  part  of  the 
Christian's  heroism  is  to  lie  in  his 

CALM  SELF-POSSESSION. 

The  man  who  is  so  gentle  that  if  men  will  not  listen  to  him 
he  goes  elsewhere,  is  so  steadfast  that  he  cannot  be  silenced  ; 
bold  as  a  lion  he  stands  before  his  accusers,  and  he  is  not 
troubled  as  to  how  he  shall  put  his  words  together,  for  he 
relies  upon  the  indwelling  spirit. 

See  how  far  the  true  believer  is  lifted  up  above  this  world, 
as  you  turn  to  Luke  12 :  22,  where  the  Lord  bids  us  cultivate 
a  holy  ease  of  heart  as  to  all  temporal  things.  The  rich  man 
finds  his  wealth  in  his  bursting  barns,  but  the  believer  finds 
his  treasure  in  the  all-sufficiency  of  God.  The  Savior  says  : 
"Take  no  thought  for  your  life,  what  ye  shall  eat;  neither 
for  the  body,  what  ye  shall  put  on.  The  life  is  more  than 
meat,  and  the  body  is  more  than  raiment.  For  all  these 
things  do  the  nations  of  the  world  seek  after." 

Another  point  in  which  Christian  heroism  is  seen  is  in 
humility  and  in  delight  in  service.     A  Christian  man  is  to  be 


APPENDIX.  525 

one  who  is  ready  to  do  anything  for  the  good  of  others, 
however  lowly  the  service.  He  will  be  a  door-keeper  in  the 
house  of  the  Lord,  if  he  may  but 

SERVE   HIS   BROTHER 

and  glorify  his  Master.  "Where  are  these  Christian  people  ?" 
asks  a  hearer.  "Where  are  these  good  and  humble  people  ? 
I  cannot  find  them."  Are  you  not  one  of  them  yourself? 
If  you  are  not,  make  the  confession,  and  go  before  God  and 
ask  him  to  set  you  right,  and  when  you  are  of  a  lowly,  loving 
spirit  yourself  you  will  find  others  of  a  like  mind.  I  must 
admit  that  they  are  not  easy  to  come  at,  but  when  you  are 
meek  and  lowly  you  will  find  them,  on  the  principle  that 
like  draws  to  like,  and  birds  of  a  feather  flock  together. 

The  next  verse  of  this  seventeenth  chapter  shows  us  that 
Christians  are  to  be  men  of  service.  The  Lord  Jesus  Christ 
would  not  have  us  always  be  asking,  "How  can  I  be  happy  ? 
How  can  I  obtain  spiritual  enjoyment?  "  There  is  more  joy 
in  plunging  your  arm  up  to  the  elbow  in  the  mire  to  find  a 
jewel  for  Christ  than  in  washing  one's  idle  hands  with  the 
scented  soap  of  respectable  propriety.  Oh,  to  get  clean 
away  from  all  idea  of  self-seeking  in  religion.  We  are  first 
of  all  saved  by  grace  like  drowning  mariners  snatched  from 
the  deep,  but  afterwards  we  are  taught  to  man  the  life-boat 
ourselves  for  the  rescue  of  others  from  destruction.  Christ- 
ianity finds  me  a  soldier  wounded  in  battle,  and  it  heals  my 
wounds,  but  it  does  far  more  than  that :  it  girds  me  with 
armor,  it  gives  me  a  sword,  it  teaches  me  to  fight,  and  it 
makes  a  hero  of  me  if  I  yield  myself  to  its  full  power.  God 
grant  it  may  do  this. 

III.  I  will  now  close  with  the  reflection  that  the  Christian 
religion 


526      LIFE  AND  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  H.  SPURGEON. 
SUPPLIES  DUE  NOURISHMENT 

for  the  most  heroic  life.  Bear  with  me  while  I  show  you  this 
in  a  few  sentences.  We  are  helped  to  holy  heroism  by  the 
reward  which  it  brings,  for  our  blessed  Master,  though  he 
bids  us  spurn  the  thought  of  reward  on  earth,  yet  tells  us 
there  is  a  reward  in  the  thing  itself.  Just  follow  my  text  in 
the  thirty-fifth  verse  :  "Love  ye  your  enemies,  and  do  good, 
and  lend,  hoping  for  nothing  again  ;  and  your  reward  shall 
be  great."  What  reward  ?  Why,  the  reward  of  having  done 
good.  This  is  quite  enough.  If  you  go  to  your  brother  who 
has  treated  you  so  badly,  and  say,  "Brother,  we  are  going  to 
be  friends,"  and  you  manage  to  heal  all  wounds,  you  will 
not  want  any  other  reward.  You  will  sleep  sweetly  at  night, 
and  the  music  that  awakes  you  in  the  morning  will  be  sweet 
as  the  bells  of  heaven.  Suppose  you  have  an  enemy,  and 
persistently  do  him  all  the  good  you  can,  you  will  not  wish 
to  be  paid  for  it ;  it  is  such  a  grand  thing  to  have  acted  like 
a  Christian  that  you  will  be 

BLESSED   IN  THE   DEED. 

Therefore,  do  not  you  be  so  mercenary  as  to  expect  to  be 
paid  in  dirty  bronze  and  tarnished  silver,  but  ask  to  find 
your  recompense  in  the  spirit  by  which  you  are  led  to  do 
good,  and  in  the  smile  of  your  heavenly  Father.  We  are 
expected  to  be  like  God  because  we  are  his  children.  "Ye 
shall  be  the  children  of  the  Highest ;  for  he  is  kind  to  the 
unthankful  and  to  the  evil."  We  expect  to  see  something  of 
the  father  in  the  child.  If  we  are  children  of  God  we  ought 
to  do  what  others  never  think  of. 

If  you  are  the  children  of  God  remember  what  a  Brother 
you  have,  and  what  an  example  He  has  set  you.  Come  with 
me  to  the  cross,  and  there  He  hangs.    It  is  your  Lord, 


APPENDIX.  527 

remember !  See,  the  iron  passes  through  his  hand ;  it  is 
your  Lord  who  is  thus  maimed  !  The  nails  tear  through  His 
feet ;  the  feet  of  your  Lord.  He  wears  a  diadem  as  monarch, 
but  it  is  a  coronet  of  thorns ;  it  is  your  Lord  who  is  thus 
crowned  !  He  wears  crimson,  too  ;  but  it  is  His  own  blood ; 
and  He  is  your  own  Lord  !  And  they  are  hissing  at  Him, 
jesting  at  His  prayers,  and  scoffing  at  His  cries — all  this  at 

YOUR   LORD! 

And  what  of  you  ?  The  other  day  you  were  ashamed  to 
own  that  you  were  his  disciple.  Are  you  not  disgusted  at 
such  cowardice?  You  were  silent  the  other  day  when  sin- 
ners were  blaspheming  him ;  you  were  niggardly  when  his 
poor  people  needed  help ;  you  refused  to  give  when  his 
church  and  his  cause  knocked  at  your  door.  You  would  not 
forgive  a  fellow  Christian  th~  other  day,  and  you  parted 
company  with  one  who  had  be  n  your  friend  for  years,  and 
all  for  a  hot  word  ;  and  yet  you  call  yourself  a  Christian! 
Yes,  and  I,  too,  am  a  Christian,  and  have  my  own  private 
cause  for  self-humiliation  ;  and  that  is  our  Master  bleeding 
there.  How  can  we  bear  to  look  him  in  the  face  ?  What 
sorry  disciples  we  are!  O  blessed  Master,  let  thy  blood 
drop  on  us  till  thou  has  blotted  out  these  many  faults  of  ours 
and  made  us  like  thyself.    Amen. 


CHARLES  H.  SPURGEON. 


HY    WILLIAM    WRIGHT,    D.D. 


Some  thirty-five  years  ago,  Charles  H.  Spurgeon  met  me 
at  the  parting  of  life's  ways,  and  sent  me  on  the  path  which 
I  have  since  been  trying  to  travel.  From  that  time  forward, 
he  and  I  became  fast  friends,  but  during  the  past  ten  years  I 
had  a  standing  invitation  to  spend  my  Saturday  afternoons 
with  him.  I  used  my  privilege  sparingly,  but  sufficiently  to 
have  seen  my  many-sided  friend  from  many  points  of  view. 
A  few  side-lights  from  the  outer  and  inner  circles  may  prove, 
not  only  interesting,  but  useful. 

I  first  met  Mr.  Spurgeon  at  Belfast.  I  was  then  preparing 
for  college,  with  a  hankering  after  the  Indian  civil  service. 
Mr.  Spurgeon  preached  in  Dr.  Cook's  church.  He  singled 
me  out,  and  spoke  to  me  as  if  no  one  else  was  present. 
There  was  no  thrumming  of  theology,  and  no  sanctimonious 
posing,  but  a  clear,  direct,  hot,  living,  personal  appeal,  that 
dare  not  be  resisted.  As  soon  as  the  benediction  was  pro- 
nounced, Mr.  Spurgeon  descended  from  the  pulpit,  and, 
seeing  me  looking  at  him,  he  held  out  his  hand  to  me  when 
he  was  about  two-thirds  down  the  stairs.  I  stepped  forward 
and  seized  it.  "How  did  you  like  my  sermon?"  were  his 
first  words.  The  human,  manly,  straightforward,  genuine 
ring  of  the  question  clinched  the  effect  already  produced  on 


530      LIFE  AND  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  H.  SPURGE  ON. 

a  youth  in  search  of  what  was  genuine.  Many  started  anew 
on  life's  journey  that  night,  and  few  of  Spurgeon's  people 
ever  turned  back. 

Fifteen  years  later,  I  went  to  the  Tabernacle  on  my  way 
home  from  Damascus.  The  same  straightforward  English- 
man was  preaching  the  same  straightforward  gospel  in  all  its 
fulness  and  freeness,  and  without  any  apology  for  its  severity. 
I  walked  into  the  vestry  without  introduction.  He  had  not 
seen  me  for  ten  years,  but  he  recognized  me  in  the  crowd 
without  a  moment's  hesitation.  He  ran  over  the  books  on 
the  Holy  Land,  stating  the  merits  of  each,  and  ended  by 
saying,  "I  suppose  Thompson's  'The  Land  and  the  Book'  is 
still  the  best  on  the  manners  and  customs."  He  had  the 
literature  of  Palestine  at  his  finger  ends. 

When  I  came  to  be  Mr.  Spurgeon's  near  neighbor,  I  found 
that  he  was  acquainted  with  all  literature.  His  power  of 
reading  was,  perhaps,  never  equalled.  He  would  sit  down 
to  five  or  six  large  books,  and  master  them  at  one  sitting. 
He  sat  with  his  left  hand  on  the  left  side  of  the  book,  and, 
pushing  his  right  hand  up  the  page  on  the  right  side  of  the 
book  until  the  page  became  projected,  he  turned  it  over, 
and  proceeded  to  the  next  page.  He  took  in  the  contents 
almost  at  a  glance,  and  his  memory  never  failed  him  as  to 
what  he  read.  He  made  a  point  of  reading  half-a-dozen  of 
the  hardest  books  weekly,  as  he  said  he  wished  to  rub  his 
mind  against  the  strongest ;  and  there  was  no  skipping.  I 
often  tested  the  thoroughness  of  his  reading. 

"Natural  Law  in  the  Spiritual  World"  reached  him  and 
me  about  the  same  time.  I  called  on  him  fresh  from  a  study 
of  the  book.  He  had  just  read  it,  with  four  or  five  other 
works,  on  that  day.  At  tea  we  began  to  discuss  the  work. 
A  third  party  disputed  his  recollection  of  certain  points, 
whereupon    Spurgeon   quoted    a    page,   to    show  that    the 


APPENDIX.  531 

natural  and  spiritual  laws  were  declared  to  be  "identical," 
and  another  important  page  to  show  how  the  book  erred  by 
defect.  I  looked  over  the  page  again,  on  my  return  home, 
and  I  believe  he  scarcely  missed  a  word  in  his  repetition. 
His  power  of  reading  was  one  of  the  greatest  of  his  many 
talents. 

In  the  vastness  of  his  knowledge  Mr.  Spurgeon  had  no 
equal  except  Mr.  Gladstone,  who  has  all  the  world's  litera- 
ture open  to  him.  Mr.  Spurgeon  was  limited  to  the  wide 
field  of  English.  With  Mr.  Gladstone  more  than  with  Mr. 
Spurgeon  I  have  always  felt  the  depths  of  my  own  ignorance. 
In  discussing  subjects  which  were  specially  my  own  with 
Mr.  Gladstone,  I  have  always  felt  that  he  knew  my  subject 
better  than  I  did.  I  once  told  him  of  Spurgeon's  power  of 
rapid  and  thorough  reading,  believing:  that  he  possessed  the 
same  gift ;  but  he  assured  me  he  read  slowly,  but  that  he 
used  up  all  the  odds  and  ends  of  time  at  his  disposal  to 
keep  abreast  of  the  age. 

These  two  men  greatly  esteemed  and  honored  each  other. 
This  is  known  from  their  last  correspondence ;  but  I  knew  it 
as  a  fact  from  each  ;  and  when  Mr.  Spurgeon  dissented  from 
Mr.  Gladstone's  Irish  policy,  through  fear  of  the  priests,  he 
added  one  day,  after  condemning  Home  Rule,  "Yes,  but  I 
will  back  William  Ewart  Gladstone  against  the  world  to 
carry  the  bill.  The  purity  of  his  purpose  and  simplicity  of 
his  motives  will  do  it." 

I  was  at  first  surprised  to  find  Mr.  Spurgeon  consulting 
both  the  Hebrew  and  Greek  texts.  "They  say,"  said  he, 
"that  I  am  ignorant  and  unlearned.  Well,  let  them  say,  and 
in  everything,  by  my  ignorance  and  by  my  learning,  let  God 
be  glorified." 

His  exegesis  was  never  wrong.  He  spared  no  pains  to  be 
sure  of  the  exact  meaning  of  his  subject.     He  was  going  to 


532       LIFE  AND  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  H.  SPURGE  ON. 

preach  on  the  olive-tree,  and  he  sent  his  secretary  to  the 
keeper  of  the  natural-history  department  of  the  British 
Museum  with  a  series  of  questions  as  to  the  peculiarities  of 
the  tree. 

The  keeper  was  so  much  interested  in  the  inquiry  that  he 
wrote  out  several  pages  for  Mr.  Spurgcon;  but  when  the 
sermon  came  to  be  preached,  the  information  had  been 
passed  through  the  crucible  of  Mr.  Spurgeon's  mind,  and 
came  forth  in  one  fine  Bunyanesque  sentence. 

Mr.  Spurgeon  held  that  the  lies  that  were  told  about  his 
vulgarity  were  overruled  to  the  furtherance  of  the  gospel. 
People  read  in  some  of  the  London  revilers  how  he  slid 
down  the  pulpit-rail  to  illustrate  the  descent  of  the  wicked 
into  hell,  and  they  went  to  see  the  dissenting  mountebank, 
and  very  often  they  remained  to  pray  and  work ;  for  Spur- 
geon's converts  bowed  to  the  yoke. 

I  once  asked  him  if  he  had  really  coined  the  phrase 
"Resist  the  Devil,"  and  he  will  flee  from  you  ;  resist  a 
deacon,  and  he  will  fly  at  you."  "No,"  said  he,  "I  never, 
had  the  wit  to  invent  it,  nor  the  experience  to  justify  my 
repeating  it.  Besides,"  he  added,  "the  saying,  like  most  of 
the  vulgarities  fathered  on  me,  is  older  than  my  grandfather." 

Mr.  Spurgeon  was  sometimes  subject  to  great  depression, 
but  nothing  weighed  him  down  so  heavily  as  the  thought 
that  his  orphans  might  be  left  destitute.  On  his  return  once 
from  Mentone,  he  met  his  deacons  to  see  how  it  fared  with 
the  orphans.  "You  must  work  another  miracle,  governor," 
said  one  of  the  deacons;  "for  we  have  now  only  a  balance 
of  /50."  "Let  113  ask  God  for  the  money  that  we  want," 
replied  Mr.  Spurgeon.  They  knelt  round  the  table  and 
prayed.  "Now,"  said  Mr.  Spurgeon,  when  they  had  again 
resumed  their  seats,  "let  us  see  what  we  can  do  ourselves." 
He  drew  a  piece  of  paper  to  him  and  wrote  down  £50  on  it, 


APPENDIX.  533 

and  passed  the  paper  to  his  nearest  neighbor.  When  it  had 
gone  round  the  table  it  contained  promises  for  ^"500. 

"I  went  home  that  night,"  said  Mr.  Spurgeon,  "as  if  my 
heart  would  break."  As  he  was  crossing  the  hall  wearily  to 
his  study,  he  heard  an  altercation  going  on  at  the  door.  He 
heard  his  man  saying,  "No  one  can  see  the  master  to-night," 
and  then  he  heard  a  gentleman's  voice  remonstrating 
warmly.  "What  is  the  matter  there?"  said  Mr.  Spurgeon. 
"O,  Mr.  Spurgeon!"  replied  the  gentleman  at  the  door,  "I 
have  come  a  long  way  to  see  you.  I  promised,  when  in 
India,  to  give  seven  hundred  pounds  to  your  orphanage,  and 
I  have  brought  you  the  money."  The  next  morning,  the  first 
letter  opened  by  Mr.  Spurgeon  contained  a  like  amount, 
"and,"  said  he,  when  telling  the  story,  "I  was  once  more  in 
the  third  heaven." 

Mr.  Spurgeon  was  a  great  preacher,  a  great  administrator, 
great  in  his  orphanage,  great  in  his  college,  but  he  was 
nowhere  so  great  as  in  his  own  house  on  a  Saturday  after- 
noon with  a  single  friend. 

Westwood  is  one  of  the  most  charming  places  in  a  charm- 
ing neighborhood.  How  Mr.  Spurgeon  came  to  possess  it  is 
one  of  the  romances  of  his  life,  but  it  is  too  long  for  this 
article.  The  grounds  belonging  to  the  house,  some  thirteen 
acres,  are  exceedingly  picturesque.  There  are  some  twenty 
or  thirty  acres  attached  to  the  place  besides.  On  Saturday 
afternoons  I  generally  found  Mr.  Spurgeon  down  among  the 
cattle,  or  in  his  extensive  conservatories.  He  possessed 
cows  and  horses  and  pigs  and  dogs  and  sheep,  and  turkeys 
and  fowls  of  all  description,  and  ducks  of  every  kind,  and 
geese  and  pigeons  of  every  variety.  And  he  took  an  inter- 
est in  them  all,  just  as  he  did  in  each  of  his  orphans.  He 
talked  to  them  and  they  stood  and  listened  to  him,  and 
knew  him,  and,  I  believe,  loved  him  as  his  orphans  did. 


534      LIFE  AND  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  II.  SPURGE  ON. 

We  returned  to  the  house  through  the  conservatories. 
These  were  filled  with  all  kinds  of  exotic  plants  and  flowers, 
and  Mr.  Spurgeon  would  draw  attention  to  the  peculiarities 
of  each,  pointing  out  beautiful  contrasts  with  human  life,  and 
analogies  with  the  life  to  come.  His  fancies  were  as  charm- 
ing as  the  exotics  themselves.  His  sallies  in  the  garden 
were  sometimes  inimitable.  "Are  you  ever  troubled  with 
these  sinless  people?"  he  said  to  me  one  day.  "We  have  a 
nest  of  them  here,  and  the  craze  has  got  in  among  the 
gardeners.  I  called  up  my  three  gardeners  on  Saturday 
week,  and  said  to  them,  'I  have  been  observing  you  for  some 
time.  You  come  late  and  you  go  early,  and,  in  the  interval, 
you  spoil  my  shrubs.  I  don't  want  your  services  any  more. 
I  will  have  my  garden  attended  to  by  sinners  for  the 
future.'  "  And  he  added  quietly,  "I  have  now  three  sinners, 
and  they  are  doing  my  garden  beautifully." 

From  the  conservatory  we  proceeded  to  tea  with  Mrs. 
Spurgeon,  where  the  conversation  sparkled  like  champagne. 
She,  too,  was  carrying  on  a  great  work  in  supplying  good 
books  to  ministers  of  all  denominations. 

After  tea,  we  filed  into  the  study  for  prayers.  There  were 
generally,  besides  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Spurgeon  and  the  guests, 
five  or  six  servants.  Mr.  Spurgeon  would  read  a  chapter, 
with  a  running  commentary  of  striking  originality,  and  then 
pray  with  great  earnestness  and  power. 

After  prayers,  the  servants  and  the  guests  from  a  distance 
departed,  and  then  Mr.  Spurgeon  was  at  his  best.  His  fun, 
his  stories,  his  criticisms,  his  adventures,  his  projects,  made 
the  time  pass  rapidly.  He  talked  of  poetry,  philosophy, 
theology,  politics,  social  schemes,  war,  peace — everything  of 
human  interest  shown  in  the  light  of  his  genius. 

When  at  last  I  rose  to  go,  about  nine  o'clock,  he  used  to 
grow  sad  and  heavy ;   and  he  would  say,  "I  must  now  get 


APPENDIX.  535 

some  crumbs  for  my  chickens."  Seldom,  when  I  left  him  on 
Saturday  night,  did  he  know  either  of  his  texts  for  Sunday. 
But  he  had  a  well-stored  mind,  and  when  he  saw  his  lines  of 
thought,  a  few  catch-words  on  a  sheet  of  note-paper  sufficed. 
On  parting,  he  offered  up  a  short  prayer  which  was  an 
inspiration  to  both. 

Mr.  Spurgeon  had  a  marvelous  combination  of  qualities 
which  contributed  to  his  greatness. 

A  voice  that  you  heard  with  pleasure,  and  could  not  help 
hearing. 

A  mind  that  absorbed  all  knowledge,  whether  from  books 
or  nature,  that  came  within  its  range. 

An  eye  that  took  in  a  wide  angle,  and  saw  everything 
within  view. 

A  memory  that  he  treated  with  confidence,  and  that  never 
disappointed  him. 

A  great,  large  heart,  on  fire  with  the  love  of  God  and  the 
love  of  souls. 

A  practical  common  sense  in  doing  things  either  sacred  or 
secular.  He  would  have  been  prime  minister  had  he  not 
been  the  pastor  of  the  Tabernacle. 

A  singleness  of  aim,  and  a  transparent  honesty  that  made 
him  trusted  by  everybody. 

A  lovableness  that  made  you  love  him,  if  you  came  within 
its  spell. 

"You  seem  very  proud  of  Mr.  Spurgeon,"  I  said,  one  day 
to  a  deacon  at  the  Tabernacle. 

"We  would  all  die  for  Mr.  Spurgeon,"  was  his  reply. 

But  the  chief  secret  of  Mr.  Spurgeon's  power  was  faith 
in  the  living,  and  in  the  power  of  the  gospel.  "After  my 
service  last  night,"  said  he  to  me  one  day,  "I  went  to  see 
two  of  my  dear  people.  The  wife  was  dying  of  consumption, 
the  husband  of  typhoid  fever.    They  had  neither  doubt  nor 


536      LIFE  AND  WORK  OF  REV.  C.  H.  SPURGEON. 

fear,  and  were  as  happy  as  on  their  wedding  day."  With  a 
tear  in  his  voice  he  added  :  "I  preach  like  a  lion  when  I  see 
my  people  die  so."  They  prate  of  his  narrowness  who  never 
knew  his  faith.  His  was  the  narrowness  of  the  arrow  that 
flew  straight  to  the  mark. 

Woolsthorpe,  London,  E?igla?id. 


DATE  DUE 


GAYLORD 


'HINTED  IN  U    S